In honour of International Tourist Guide Day on February 21, Bannikin gathered the wisdom from some of their clients' top guides to help make your clients savvier travellers on their next trip to Japan, Spain, Italy, Scotland or Rapa Nui. Here's what they had to say:
Look at any travel marketing material and you will discern that most of us have an innate desire to be smart, savvy, and respectful visitors. We wish to transcend the label of “tourist,” being promoted to the more sophisticated status of “traveller.”
We earn this through experience as we muddle our way through the challenging process of trial and error. This process, while often embarrassing, is full of those opportunities for personal growth, learning, and discovery that so many of us value in our travel experiences.
And while experience is the best teacher, why not tap into the wisdom of these award-winning guides to give you an edge and best prepare for the adventures to come? Below we showcase some of our clients’ most trusted and celebrated guides and trip leaders, individuals who have dedicated their lives to walking side by side with travellers, ensuring they have amazing travel experiences in their respective destinations. Through this work, they have learned a thing or two that can help you get the most out of your trip.
Montse Bosch Olives – Spain, ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
What is one thing you wish more visitors knew before travelling to your destination?
I wish more visitors knew that the saying “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” is not always true – when travelling long distances here, be prepared for all weather conditions whether you’re on the plain or not!
If someone came to your destination and could only do one thing, what would you recommend?
Live! That is the Spanish way and the thing you want to do when you visit my country! Enjoy the little things, do what makes you happy, feel the sun on your skin, feel the breeze through your hair, take a break, and keep pedaling. This is why cycling is such an amazing way to experience Spain, you are so connected with all the land, landscape and culture.
What is one thing that a guest gets out of a guided trip, that they can’t get when they travel by themselves?
With a guided trip, a guest gets to simply enjoy the beauty of the country and embrace all the activities arranged for them throughout the trip. All of this with our professional local expertise. The fact of having someone local with you when travelling abroad gives you a whole different view of the country, you dive into the local lifestyle and start to feel at home after only a few days.
Josefina Nahoe – Rapa Nui, Vaya Adventures
What is one thing you wish more visitors knew before travelling to your destination?
I find that most international tourists do the homework and know a lot about the island before they arrive. Possibly it would be good to remember that Rapa Nui is not only a small island but also the most isolated island in the world. Keeping this in mind makes the monolith culture even more amazing and will help our visitors to take any "bumps in the road" in stride.
If someone came to your destination and could only do one thing, what would you recommend?
They must visit the statue quarry of Rano Raraku!
What is one thing that a guest gets out of a guided trip, that they can’t get when they travel by themselves?
Today, the park requires that every visitor has a recognized guide when entering all but two of the park sites. Those sites are the complex of Tahai and the beach of Anakena. This requirement not only assists in the protection of our patrimonial heritage but also adds value to our visitor experience. Understanding Rapa Nui's history, archaeology and culture is an imperative part of appreciating how amazing Rapa Nui really is, and a guide can help you access sites and places that help you do just that.
Tomomi (Tomo) Shimazu – Japan, Oku Japan
What is one thing you wish more visitors knew before travelling to your destination?
Be ready to take off your shoes! This is a good example of a possible cultural shock, but these situations are signs of a culturally immersive experience you can enjoy and look back on fondly.
If someone came to your destination and could only do one thing, what would you recommend?
Take a dip in an open-air onsen hot spring! This has nourished Japanese people for centuries and is perhaps the best way to be one with nature and its blessings, which is important culturally because nature worship is a major part of Shintoism.
What is one thing that a guest gets out of a guided trip, that they can’t get when they travel by themselves?
You'll get more mindful moments! You're in front of the same scenery but with insights from a knowledgeable guide who may also have a connection to the area. This creates more chances to connect to your surroundings than going it alone.
Tim Willis – Scotland, Wilderness Scotland
What is one thing you wish more visitors knew before travelling to your destination?
It’s never easy learning how to pronounce local cities and towns, so here are a few famous Scottish place names to master so you can sound like a local:
1. Edinburgh - replace ‘burgh’ with ‘bra’, emphasis on the ‘edin’, so “Edinbra”
2. Glasgow - drop the ‘w’, so “Glas Go”
3. Oban - switch the ‘a’, to an ‘i’, emphasis on the ‘O’, so “Obin”
4. Loch Lomond - emphasis on the second letter (o) of Lomond, “Loch Low Mond”
Bonus Tip: Book all restaurants for dinner in advance to ensure you get a great meal, in a lovely place, and at a time that works for you.
If someone came to your destination and could only do one thing, what would you recommend?
Having travelled and enjoyed adventures in much of the world, for me, there is nowhere more beautiful, dramatic, and captivating than my home in Scotland. Travel has made me realise just how lucky I am to live in a country with so much history, tradition, scenic beauty, and incredible accessibility. If you could only do one thing here, you couldn’t go wrong with a walk through the ancient Caledonian Pine Forests of the Cairngorms or Glen Affric. Good for the heart, lungs, and soul.
What is one thing that a guest gets out of a guided trip, that they can’t get when they travel by themselves?
Relaxation and peace-of-mind. The guide takes care of all the logistics and organising so you can sit back, relax, and soak it all in without wondering, for instance, how to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, on single-lane roads with cars travelling in both directions, whilst trying to avoid sheep and navigating around highland cows (pronounced heeland coos, by the way).
Sebastiano Leone – Italy, Wilderness Travel
If someone came to your destination and could only do one thing, what would you recommend?
Visit Palermo. I think it represents the best of Italian culture, our people, generosity, and hospitability and not many visitors from North America think to go there.
What is one thing that a guest gets out of a guided trip, that they can’t get when they travel by themselves?
A guided trip introduces a visitor to a hidden/deeper world and enriches the local experience. Without a trusted guide, a visitor could get a similar experience, but in a much longer period, and only by getting local connections; a local guide is the ambassador, facilitator, intermediator, friend who can make this happen immediately. Also, a guided trip makes the visitors avoid misadventures / bad experiences. Visiting a foreign country accompanied by a local "friend" makes a big difference.
~As distributed by Bannikin Beyond Travel and Tourism
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