Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to coordinate touring programs of more than one day duration. It requires the ability to manage all tour logistics and to solve touring and group member problems. It also requires skills to ensure the ongoing welfare and satisfaction of tour group members and to develop and maintain group cohesion and rapport.
This unit applies to tour operations, inbound tour operations and tour wholesaling sectors, and to tour managers, tour directors, tour leaders and tour escorts employed by those companies. These individuals may lead extended tours in Australia or overseas, and are responsible for logistical management of touring programs that usually include multiple destinations. They work independently in the field, within established organisational procedures. When on tour, they take a lead role without supervision, only referring problems to the tourism operator when absolutely necessary.
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:
• manage an extended touring program of more than one day duration for at least one of the types of tours listed in the knowledge evidence
• liaise with industry colleagues regarding logistical aspects of the above tour operation to ensure:
• tours are conducted to schedule and including all advertised itinerary features
• tours are conducted in a sustainable manner with minimal impact on culturally or environmentally sensitive areas
• the safety of customers and colleagues
• facilitate positive interactions between tour group members and maintain group cohesion and rapport throughout the above touring program
• apply negotiation and contingency management procedures to manage issues, situations and problems on the above touring program to minimise negative impact on customers, including:
• unexpected events or delays
• equipment or transportation issues
• environmental conditions
• customer interpersonal or operational situations.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• types of extended tour programs and their common format, duration and inclusions:
• adventure tours
• camping tours
• cruise programs
• cultural and historical tours
• eco-tours
• general sightseeing tours
• special interest tours
• pre- and post-conference tours
• responsibilities of tour managers on extended touring programs
• tourism industry supplier networks and interrelationships that impact on the conduct of an extended touring program
• organisational management policies, processes and procedures to be undertaken before, during and at completion of a tour
• negotiation techniques and their application to different tour managing contexts
• operational details:
• check-in and check-out procedures
• customs and immigration procedures and requirements
• documentation preparation
• group currency requirements
• luggage coordination
• local touring liaison
• management of passenger travel documentation:
• airline tickets
• seat allocations or boarding passes
• travel vouchers
• seat rotation
• booking and reconfirmation procedures for tour components
• leadership, motivation and communication techniques and their application to different tour managing contexts
• organisational procedures and processes to address tour management issues and problems:
• customer interpersonal situations
• customer operational situations
• environmental conditions
• equipment and transportation in contingency situations
• itinerary challenges:
• change in services delivered
• delays
• overbooking
• poor supplier performance
• legal, ethical, safety and sustainability considerations in the management of extended touring programs:
• anti-discrimination provisions
• duty of care
• licensing and the use of licensed operators
• minimising waste and conserving resources
• site-specific safety and security requirements.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in an extended touring 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:
• equipment and resources required for the delivery of extended touring programs:
• transport
• venue access
• customer and operational documentation to support the delivery of an extended touring itinerary
• real or simulated touring activities
• customer group of a size and nature that reflects the commercial environment in which the guide operates
• a group of customers for whom the individual can act as a tour manager; this can be:
• those participating in an extended tour who interact with the individual during the assessment process; or
• individuals who participate in a simulated extended tour set up for the purpose of assessment.
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': 'interpret customer and operational tour information; interpret tourism industry terminology including product codes.'}
• {'skill': 'Writing skills to:', 'description': 'complete operational and reporting documents.'}
• {'skill': 'Oral communication skills to:', 'description': 'discuss customer concerns and sometimes sensitive and confidential issues.'}
• {'skill': 'Numeracy skills to:', 'description': 'calculate tour component times; translate time from the 24-hour to 12-hour clock.'}
• {'skill': 'Initiative and enterprise skills to:', 'description': 'create opportunities to enhance the customer touring experience.'}
• {'skill': 'Planning and organising skills to:', 'description': 'coordinate multiple, diverse and often complex logistical tour components and arrangements.'}
• {'skill': 'Technology skills to:', 'description': 'use industry-current communication systems.'}

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