Hi Everybody,
I live on a beautiful island called Waiheke Island about 40 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland, New Zealand. I have only moved to the island in the last year and guess what, I have to earn a living!
I have bought a bus and am going to run a 5 hour tour around our beautiful island. Others do similar things, but I would really appreciate advice from travel lovers and comments on what makes a great tour experience.
Thank you everybody in advance.
Graeme

OK, I'll bite;

1) The price of the tour has to seem reasonable for what you are offering and also be competitive with other operators offering similar tours.

2) You have to have a professional looking brochure and website describing the itinerary and highlights of the tour. Be sure to include some interesting photos - some should depict images of your average client enjoying the tour.

3) Assuming you've chosen an interesting itinerary for your tour you should be well versed in background material and historical facts that you should be able to pass on to your clients. Keep your facts brief but interesting. Having a few laminated maps or fact sheets that supplement your oral presentation that you can pass around to your clients during the trip often proves useful.

4) Make sure you are articulate when making your presentation - heavy accents are sometimes difficult for foreign visitors to fully understand so tailor your speech patterns toward your clientele. Always be cheerful and upbeat.

5) Have a good PA system install in the bus and set the volume at a level that will be comfortable for your passengers - NOT YOU. Nothing turns off tourists more than a PA system that is either so loud it's hurts their ears, has distorted sound or sound that is much too soft. Hint, at the beginning of the tour ask you clients how well they can hear you and encourage them to let you know if you need to adjust the volume level any time during the tour.

6) As the tour guide you have to remain enthusiastic through the entire tour even though you'll be taking the same route and seeing the same sights day in and day out. Always remember that your clients will be seeing things for the first time. You have to make them feel the tour is as exciting for you as it is for them (even though you've done it hundreds of times before - I can't stress this enough.

7) Be prepared to answer a lot questions - the same questions -over and over again - every day!!!!!!!!!

8) When taking groups of tourists you'll have to keep the group moving at a reasonable pace - some people in the group will move quickly others will go at a snails pace. It will be up to you to determine the best pace the group you have on any given day.

9) Make the tour fun and enjoyable for your clients - after all they are paying you to have a good time.

10) Since you are doing a 5 hour tour you'll have to plan for a few rest stops (add more stops if there are lots senior citizens in your group) and make sure you stop at a reasonable but nice place for lunch. You'll have to decide whether to include the meal as part of the tour package or let your clients dine at their own expense. If it's the former you'll have to arrange for a variety of meal choices as people's dietary requirements are sometimes different. If the clients are purchasing their own meals make sure there are a number of reasonably priced dining options where you stop. For the most part clients don't want to eat at McDonald's, Burger King or other fast food franchise restaurants - they can get that at home.

11) Make sure you have a cooler filled with bottled water, soft drinks and/or juices so your clients will not become dehydrated.

12) Make sure your bus is clean, has comfortable seats and is well maintained - your clients want to feel safe and secure.

13) Drive carefully and obey the speed limits - again your clients are taking a tour and don't want to go racing through the countryside.

14) Engage your clients in conversations - it will make them feel you are interested in them.

15) Use your common sense - remember your clients are your customers and the customer is always right.

Few more ideas-
Is your tour oriented toward adults? Five hours is pretty long for kids.
Have you considered also offering a shorter (@ 2 1/2 -3 hour) tour for families with kids - with a child-oriented itinerary? Perhaps as an alternative once or twice a week - could do 2 tours daily.
Can you describe some of the sights on the island?
BTW- how many passengers does the bus seat comfortably? You may not be able to count on filling every seat. (oversized passengers)
I think it's a very good idea to offer bottled water though I wouldn't offer soft drinks and juices. They're too sweet to quench thirst and can be very messy if spilled.
Have your lunch stop where a bit of souvenir shopping is available-(a fine line there between enough and too much!)
And how about a freebee postcard highlighting your tour given to your passengers as they depart? A nice thank-you and a bit of free publicity too.
Oh yes- and tipping - decide if you want to encourage it and if so how.
Good luck and keep us posted!

you've already received a lot of info -- but I'd re-post this over on the Australia & the Pacific forum. Many times more Fodorites will see/read it there.You also might want to post it in the Lounge since that is a VERY busy forum.

OK you've moved to my dream location and I'm so jealous... Waiheke completely captured my imagination when I was there at age 40 and for most of the last 10 years I fantasized about retiring there.

One question - 5 hours??? Seems long when I think about how pleasant it was to spend time just walking or sitting and enjoying.

My thoughts:
- 5 hours is too long
- Just once I'd like to see a brochure highlighted "no tipping". Build it into the price.
- I disagree with "roamsaround" point #14. I wouldn't care if you are interested in me, I want a professional tour not a new friend!
- Tell people ahead of time when the bathroom breaks will be. Make sure that these stops are at clean places and not where there will be a long line.
- No dumb jokes. Some tour guides find themselves quite amusing and it gets old very fast.
- If there are children on the tour, don't forget the adult customers. Many times I have seen guides cater to a couple of kids on the tour, forgetting about the 20 adults (who are happy to be there without their own kids!)
- Be sure that the start and ending times are prompt. People plan their vacation time very carefully and there is nothing worse than a tour that goes way over the time.
- If shopping stops are built in, don't make it so customers have to go to pre-selected shops that you have made deals with.
- Make the trip non-smoking.

good luck

I haven't been to New Zealand/Waiheke so have no idea what the tour will showcase, however... the best day tours I have been on have been exactly that, full day tours. Depending on what there is to see, if you plan it with the right mixture of time visiting the attractions compared to being on the bus, a full day can be very good. So, I don't feel 5 hours is too long.

I took one from Inverness that started at 9:00 in the morning and ended late evening (8:00ish IIRC). During the day, we stopped at a small museum, took a short boat ride on Loch Ness, visited castle ruins, went into a national park and had some short breaks (10-15 min) when the drive time between attractions was more than 45 minutes (for example a stop near a bridge that ran over a small creek where we played "Pooh sticks").

Another day trip I really enjoyed was on the Orkney Islands where the main attractions were many of the archaeological sites but also got a feel for the everyday lives of the islanders. I believe this one 9:00 to 6:00ish.

In both cases, the guide was very well informed and engaged the tourists while on the bus, speaking the history, natural surrondings, answering questions etc. Off the bus we would be given some information about the area, opportunity to ask questions but more importantly time to explore at our own pace.

I don't think 5 hours is too long for adults -
My favorite lunch stop on a tour has always been at a single restaurant with a limited menu (soup/salad/sandwiches/dessert/drink). A nice locale with view is a plus. I prefer to pay on my own. Don't forget a vegetarian choice. An adjacent gift/souvenir shop would be nice. You don't want your passengers drifting too far off.
Also - why not make up some neat baseball caps to sell? Bright color, snappy logo (you'll want a logo in any case). Of course the guide/driver (you) would wear one too. Good publicity and practical too.

Personal presentation is important. You must be in a uniform of some sort. Neat and clean. Clean shaven or full beard not three day growth. Look like you care. No chewing gum or smoking etc.

Relaxed and confident. You need to look like you are not only having fun but that you know everything.

Be outwardly optimistic and inwardly pessimistic. Think of all the things that could go wrong and have a solution. Flat tyre, break down, injury, heart attack, agressive client, foul weather.

A souvenir is to take away is a good idea. Nothing tacky but a good ticket to stick in an album. A digital photograph etc. Lots of NZ activities/tours charge extra for a photo which was reasonable in the days of film processing, but with digital, your company should be able to afford the 20-50cents to print each person a photo if they want.

I agree about children. Nothing worse than being on a tour where they focus on the child. That is the parent's job. I haven't paid good money to see a kid's show.

The Verger at Westminster Abbey made a hand drawn ticket for a little girl in our group. That went down well.

I would not offer lunches. They are often more trouble than they are worth for both you and the clients. Biscuits/snacks can be good. Tea/coffee if the weather is cold.

Generally on a tour I want to spend as much time seeing and doing rather than eating and drinking, so stop where people like me can explore a bit, while others rest a bit.

I don't like them, but name tags can be good. I have seen them done at conferences on a gum leaf with a silver paint pen. Cheap and a great keepsake.

Have set a price and put it on the brochure! Put under it "subject to change". I know prices go up $10-20 but $100 dollar trip will not become a $300 trip between printings. It saves us ringing you and wasting both your time and ours.

If possible have a couple of different routes so you can vary it based on interests, ages, weather etc.

Cross advertise with other businesses. For example, presenting your ticket at the local bakery/cafe will get a free coffee etc. A ticket from the cafe will get an extra photograph.

We took a helicopter out to White island and they took photos of us and the volcano in general and put it on a CD ROM for us with other photos and information about White Island. But be more reasonable than them. We paid for an extra seat on the helicopter as they would only take a minimum of three AND they still charged us for the CD ROM!

Lots of people have MP3 players so record your best tour and have it available to download.

Play Local music on you tour and have copies available to sell or at least tell people where they can get it.

Add 10% to all your fares. Then offer discounts to teachers, seniors, nurses, police etc. Makes us feel special and you don't lose money.

If you run more than one trip offer multi trip discounts and be VERY generous here.

Have your brochure at every hotel, accommodation, cafe, attraction etc. Make sure you a good client to these businesses even if they are more expensive than the mainland. Give them or their families a discount. When you start up give them a free trip. It will give you practise and the locals may give you some extra stories to tell.

Give all fodorites a 5% discount and those of us that have helped you a 20% discount. And we expect a proper discount! We know you just put the prices up!

The director of Jesus Christ Superstar made a very good point to his cast in Melbourne. "This is your 100th show. For the audience it is ther FIRST. Make them remember it."

Good luck and keep in touch.

PS Know the geology of island how and when it formed. I will ask!

<i>Personal presentation is important. You must be in a uniform of some sort. Neat and clean. Clean shaven or full beard not three day growth. Look like you care. No chewing gum or smoking etc.</i>

I don't think a uniform is in anyway a must. Being clean and presentable is.

<i>Relaxed and confident. You need to look like you are not only having fun but that you know everything.</i>

Although being well informed about what the tour covers is very important, nobody knows everything and anyone who tries to pretend they do tend to annoy me and make me distrustful of them.

<i>Generally on a tour I want to spend as much time seeing and doing rather than eating and drinking, so stop where people like me can explore a bit, while others rest a bit.</i>

I whole-heartedly agree with that!

<i>Play Local music on you tour and have copies available to sell or at least tell people where they can get it.</i>

I'm on a tour to hear what the guide has to say, not listen to music which I may or may not enjoy.

<i>Add 10% to all your fares. Then offer discounts to teachers, seniors, nurses, police etc. Makes us feel special and you don't lose money.</i>

Seriously??? And what about those who aren't teachers, nurses, police?? Make us feel crappy?

I said you have to LOOK like you know everything not that that you actually do! Nothing worse than a guide who looks like they don't even know what day it is.

Music - My point should be. IF you play music - play local music as it is more likely to be enjoyed by a wider range of guests and have a more holiday feel.

Regarding the 10%. You don't think companies do that already?

Graeme-
How are your plans coming along?
Any ideas we've offered been of help?
BTW - I would offer discounts for pre-booking and for seniors.
I like a bit of local music.
Uniform,no. Baseball cap and/or t-shirt with logo,yes. Bright color so guide is easily spotted.

NGail.
"Uniform,no. Baseball cap and/or t-shirt with logo,yes. Bright color so guide is easily spotted."

That is a uniform! Or atleast What I meant as a uniform. Not something different each day.

What do you mean by a uniform?

A uniform? Tailored shirt with collar, matching slacks, conservative color. Boring!

"Tailored shirt with collar, matching slacks, conservative color. Boring!"

Seeing that is your definition. I will concur.

<i>Regarding the 10%. You don't think companies do that already?</i>

No, I don't. Discounts for seniors and students is pretty standard, but never for certain professions like nurses, teachers, police, etc.

I prefer not to have a one=hour lunch break on a 5 hour tour. If you are advertising some kind of culinary wine/food tour, then a list of stops where food may be purchased. I prefer the carried-along sandwich/cookie/tea type of break (which seems to be a tradition of sorts in NZ). Include some homemade baked goods or typical foods or activities. I enjoyed my Skippers Canyon day tour which included foraging for raspberries, some good cookies and a quick dig for gold, for example.

I could care less what you are wearing (but a cap is fine, and you can sell them, too). Lots of local insight and tales about the local population. Visit places that are difficult to reach without a vehicle, which is why most people will be booking a tour. Eg if doing wineries, the smaller ones that are up at the top of a hill.

Oh, and please, no expensive souveniers! Nothing more than a postcard that I can promptly mail away. I hate the CD thing.

I don't know if you or anyone on this chain would be interested but I help run a travel club for photography lovers (amateurs and professionals) & Singles and solos. We do some solid trips---feel free to check it out if it may interest you: shutterflytravel.com & singlesbythebaytravel.com

Plenty of great day tours when traveling with our clubs...

Steve