Of course being a tour guide in Berlin, one must always be familiar with recent events and changes in the area. This will not only assist your guests in getting accurate and relevant information, but it will also improve their experience when you use the information you’ve gathered to narrate interesting anecdotes and facts about the city your guests are visiting. In this blog post, some techniques on how tour guides can remain updated with the news in Berlin shall be discussed.
1. Follow Local News Sources
One of the best ways to stay informed about Berlin’s news is by following local news sources. Here are a few reputable news outlets that cover Berlin extensively:
- Der Tagesspiegel: A daily newspaper with a dedicated Berlin section.
- Berliner Morgenpost: Covers local news, politics, and culture in Berlin.
- The Local Germany: Provides news in English specifically for an international audience.
2. Utilize Online News Aggregators
As for the second criterion, the selected sources can be really useful for the tour guides to get the idea of the general headlines in Berlin from different sources using online news aggregator. Some popular news aggregators include:
- Google News: Help you put up a filter on the news feed according to you preference and geographical location.
- Feedly: A modern platform that remotes all the relevant news from your selected sources into one simple interface.
- Flipboard: Filters news based on the topic of your choice and the things that you care about.
3. Engage on Social Media
Among the sources of information, it is possible to list such social services as Twitter and Facebook. Follow Berlin-specific accounts, such as:
@visitberlin: Visit Berlin – the official informer about events and sights in Berlin.
@BerlinTourism: Posts news, tricks, and ideas about Berlin.
@BerlinArtLink: More than that, it concentrates on the modern art life in Berlin.
Also, you should try to become a member of the existing communities on Facebook that are concentrating on Berlin and people who live in this city as well as foreigners who are residing in Germany. Such communities can post updates on local topics or submit the latest news.
4. Attend Local Events and Workshops
By all means try to attend local forums and seminars dealing in tourism, culture and city planning within Berlin. Most of these events present a platform to interact with other tour guides as well as other players in the industry besides giving one an update on the current trends and events that maybe of significance to his line of work. Look for events organized by:
- Visit Berlin: Offers workshops and seminars for tour guides.
- Eventbrite: A platform that lists various events happening in Berlin.
- Meetup: A platform for groups with specific interests, including those related to Berlin’s tourism industry.
5. Join Professional Associations
One should conform to the professional associations or guilds of the tour guides in Berlin. They offer information, fellowship, and means for networking with other people in the respective line of work. As a member, you can conveniently receive information on events, new jobs and availability of membership in the association. Here are a few associations to consider:
| Association | Website |
| Berlin Guides Association | www.berlinguides.org |
| European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations — Berlin | www.feg-touristguides.eu/berlin/ |
Final Thoughts
The last necessity for a competent guide is keeping abreast with the news of Berlin. Thinking that it is enough to read regional media sources, use internet based resources, registered in social networks, attend different events in the city, and join appropriate professional associations will be right. Always bear in mind that only updated and correct information increases the quality of the guest experience and makes you the Berlin expert that you are.
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