Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to work effectively as a guide. It covers key legal, ethical, safety, environmental and professional development issues that guides must consider in their day-to-day work.
This unit applies to guides who may work across multiple industry sectors as employees, volunteers, or independent contractors. They may operate within a single site, or in a particular city, region or tourist precinct, but often move across sites, cities and regions.
Guides apply discretion and judgement within established organisational procedures, and take a lead role without supervision when guiding a tour or activity. Sometimes guides are the owner-operators of small tour operations.
Tour guides, residing anywhere in Australia, are required to undertake training and assessment prescribed by Parks Australia to guide within Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks in the Northern Territory.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
When working in Queensland, all guides, regardless of their place of residence, are subject to the Queensland Tourism Services Act 2003.
No other occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

What You'll Learn

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
• plan and conduct three guiding activities with different customers or groups which involve:
• liaising with one or more tourism industry operators
• identifying potential operational problems and appropriate solutions
• incorporating client requirements and special requests
• undertake a full risk assessment for each of the above guiding activities that:
• identifies inherent risks
• identifies hazards
• reports on hazards and risks
• meet legal, ethical, safety and sustainability requirements in the planning of each of the above guiding activities.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• interrelationship between tour operations and wholesaling sectors and the role of guiding in the tourism industry
• cultural considerations in dealing with industry colleagues, customers, suppliers and local communities
• roles and responsibilities for guides, and the specific roles of each of these types of guides:
• day tour guide
• extended tour guide
• hospitality desk guide
• city host
• driver guide
• meet and greet guide
• site guide
• tour manager
• roles and services provided to guides by peak guiding bodies and industry associations to assist in developing guiding knowledge
• industry and legal compliance requirements that affect guiding operations:
• consumer protection law
• national, state/territory and local licensing and industry accreditation requirements for guides
• contents of various guiding codes of conduct or practice and the impacts of non-compliance
• public liability and the guide’s duty of care
• environmental laws
• permit requirements for operating in protected areas
• work health and safety
• different types of technologies and their uses in tour guiding
• opportunities to update own knowledge as a guide
• tourism operators that work in collaboration with guides:
• inbound tour operators
• other guides
• retail outlets
• suppliers of tourism products or services that are components of the touring itinerary
• safety issues that affect guiding operations in particular contexts, including customer safety in different environments
• ethical considerations for guides:
• industry codes of conduct
• cultural considerations
• dealings with local communities
• dealings with Australian Indigenous communities
• provision of services as promoted or confirmed
• relationships with industry colleagues, customers and suppliers
• avoiding unconscionable conduct
• sustainable work practice considerations for:
• business sustainability
• environmental sustainability
• social impact.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in an operational guiding environment. This can be:
• an industry workplace; or
• a simulated industry environment or activity set up for the purposes of assessment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
• an environment in which guiding activities take place
• organisational specifications:
• codes of conduct
• procedures for liaising with tourism industry operators that are involved in the operation of guided activities
• running sheets for tours and activities
• incident report templates
• passenger lists
• risk assessment template
• communications technology as required by the tour
• props and signage
• customer groups of a size and nature that reflect the commercial environment in which the guide operates
• tourism industry operators with whom the individual can interact; these can be:
• those involved in organising a tour or activity who interact with the individual during the assessment process; or
• individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities set up for the purpose of assessment in an operational touring context
• participants undertaking a tour or activity for whom the individual can act as guide; participants can be:
• those participating in a tour or activity who interact with the individual during the assessment process; or
• individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities set up for the purpose of assessment in an operational touring context.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors and have worked in industry for at least three years where they have applied the skills and knowledge of this unit of competency.

Foundation Skills

• {'skill': 'Reading skills to:', 'description': 'read and interpret industry codes of practice and regulations.'}
• {'skill': 'Writing skills to:', 'description': 'complete risk assessment documentation.'}
• {'skill': 'Oral communication skills to:', 'description': 'liaise with internal and external stakeholders and customers when carrying out job tasks.'}
• {'skill': 'Problem-solving skills to:', 'description': 'evaluate legal, ethical, safety and sustainability issues and requirements for guiding activities; make decisions on appropriate behaviours and actions.'}
• {'skill': 'Initiative and enterprise skills to:', 'description': 'make contingency plans when required, to deal with unexpected circumstances.'}
• {'skill': 'Teamwork skills to:', 'description': 'work effectively with industry operators.'}

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