The difference between tour leader and tour guide?

Answer 1

The titles are different; however they are often wrongly used interchangeably. A Tour Guide is someone who works within an area they know very well. They provide a tour of a city, park or specific attraction like Niagara falls. Their job entails providing commentary, routing the tour and seeing that people have a good time. They are paid by a local company and typically work on a daily basis. A Tour Leader is someone who leads a group overseas. They may or may not have visited the place prior. Their job entails ensuring the people get what they paid for, facilitating the flight, and making sure the people have a good time. They are the person who takes a person to see a doctor or throws a "welcome cocktail party" on arrival. They work together with the Tour Guide and sometimes a National Guide as well. They may be paid by the Tour Operator who planned the trip or sometimes a Travel Agent who put the trip together. A professional Tour Leader typically will lead about a dozen trips a year. A National Guide (also known as a Tour Director or Tour Manger) is someone who leads a group throughout a country or part of a country. Their job entails providing commentary, routing the tour, timing the tour and looking after logistics like hotel check-ins and reservations for attractions. Contrary to popular belief they are in charge of everything not the Coach Driver. They are paid by the Tour Operator and typically work fulltime for the tour season.