Tour guiding is a great job if one is passionate about travelling and sharing information with others; thus if you want to be a certified tour guide in Berlin, go for it. Germany’s capital city Berlin is a historic city that has lots of amazing places to visit and lots of cultural endowment. Being a state certified tour guide you are privileged to present Berlin’s highlights to the guests of the capital and the tourists from all over the globe. This brief guide looks at the most important facts you have to consider in order to become qualified as a Berliner Führer.
1. Get to Understand More About Berlin
Like any other tour guide, you are expected to know so much about the history, culture, the places of interest in that city. Begin with introduction of the great history which is related to Berlin. To get more information, one should read, watch documental films, and visiting history and art museums and monuments. As well as updates on the current event and development that occur in the city.
2. As a rule, professional tour guide associations exist at the national and regional level, though some international ones exist as well.
To get into even better position for your successful tour guide practice, consider becoming a member of a professional association of those guides, for example, the Berlin Guide Association or the Federal Association of German Tourist Guides since they offer one a wide range of informational and training opportunities, as well as do possess numerous contacts. Many of them have certification programs that help to establish your professional image and grow your business as a tour guide.
3. You must complete a Certified Tour Guide Course
If you want to become a certified tour guide in Berlin, there is only one way and that is going through a certified tour guide course. Areas of study to be embraced in the course include aspects like tour planning, customer service, public speaking, and tour emergencies. It determines the requirements of acquiring practical training that makes many courses to incorporate the required practical training in guiding tourist in Berlin.
4. Formally recognized with a First Aid Certification
Being a tour guide, the guide has to be ready for emergencies to happen. Getting a first aid certification is always useful for improving your knowledge and it provides your clients with added security. Keenly search for first aid courses taught in Berlin and check if they are accredited.
5. Master Multiple Languages
Berlin is one of the cosmopolitan cities with a rich variety of people from around the globe coming to vacation. It is clear that being proficient in more than one language can greatly improve your chances of getting work as a tour guide. If the target market is global consider learning Spanish, French, Mandarin or Russian apart from English and German.
6. Gain Practical Experience
So, one has to go through a number of practical tests to become an effective tour guide. One starts by working as a volunteer or even as an unpaid intern with other well-established tour companies. If you get one, the guide who is assigned to you will take you on trail that will give the opportunity to practice and make friends with other guides. You can also come up with your own sample tours how it works and your understanding of the subject.
7. Studying for the Tour Guide Exam
Once you are done with your tour guide course and practicing for the same, you need to get ready for tour guide exam. The exam may contain written and spoken parts, it is necessary to predict different questions about the history of Berlin, Places of curiosity, and city’s culture. Prepare thoroughly, meaning review your notes, textbooks and other course work materials as well as the test blueprint.
8. Another is to ensure you get professional liability insurance.
Therefore, as you proceed to practice as a certified tour guide you need to secure your business and your customer through professional liability insurance. This insurance will refer to a potential compensation and losses that may occur to you during your tours.
9. Design Your Unique Tours
This is the right time to fashion out various forms of the tour that will attract different types of travelers once you had become a certified tour guide. It also recommends that one focuses on specific tours including, historical city walk tours, graffiti tours, or food tour to make an impact in the competitive market of the tour guide niche. May you design all kinds of the tours suitable for each customer according to his/ her/ its tastes.
10. Market Yourself
Marketing is, therefore, central in the creation of a market and getting the client for a Berlin tour. Develop an official website or get a page on social networks to introduce the potential clients to your services and available tours. The solutions are: Join local tourist associations and local hotels to promote your business. For any business, getting new clients is always easier when you have previous and happy customers who have testified about your company.
The title of a certified tour guide in Berlin a person has to work for it, study, and most importantly, love Berlin and its sights to be able to share this with others. By doing so and building up the acquired competencies and learning throughout the process one can attain a meaningful employment in one of Europe’s most visited cities as a tour guide.
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