Becoming A Guide
What is a tour guide?
Tour Guides are self-employed individuals who conduct guided tours and walks giving a live commentary. Guides are responsible for sourcing their own work. The Mersey Partnership (the Official Tourist Board for the Liverpool City Region), Liverpool Culture Company and other agencies will also book the services of qualified guides from time to time in return for a commission. The majority of the work is part-time and often takes place in the early evenings and at weekends. The work is demanding, fun and no two days are the same. Guiding should be viewed more as a paid hobby that a steady job. Guiding rates vary from £8 a tour for Open Top Bus tours to £50 for a two-hour coach tour.
Tour Guides get involved in a variety of guiding activity:
- Open Top Bus City Explorer tour
- Beatles Magical Mystery Tours
- Tours for incoming cruise passengers
- Tours for coach operators
- Tours for Women's Institutes etc
- Car tours using their own vehicle
- Site tours of St Georges Hall and other heritage buildings
- Regular guided walks around different parts of the City Region
- Talks, slides shows etc
All tour guides require public liability insurance before undertaking any paid for guiding activity. This can cost up to £200 per annum.
What makes a good guide?
- Do you enjoy meeting new people from different countries, cultures and faiths?
- Do you have pride in telling others about the City's heritage and diversity?
- Do you enjoy finding out about your City and its past?
- Are you friendly, confident with good communication skills?
- Do you want to do something new and enjoy a challenge?
- Are you interested in communicating Liverpool's rich and varied heritage to international visitors to the city?
- Are you available for guiding at short notice?
- Can you adapt what you say to the needs of different groups?
If you can answer yes to the above questions, you may make a good guide.
Also desirable are:
- The ability to speak a second language fluently
- Familiarity with the New Liverpool - its shops, restaurants, clubs, pubs and other developments
Guiding Qualifications
The Mersey Partnership (TMP) is the official Tourist Board for the Liverpool City Region and is responsible for the recruitment, training and quality assurance of guides in Region.
TMP reviews the needs for guides on a regular basis and facilitates training for new guides according to demand Click here for details of forthcoming training courses
There are three nationally recognised guiding qualifications by the Institute of Tourist Guides (ITG link)
Blue Badge (Level 4)
The Blue Badge is the highest professional qualification for Tour Guides. Blue Badge Guides on Merseyside can guide throughout the City Region and have an in depth knowledge of British and local history, heritage, culture and traditions as well as communication skills and guiding technique. Training can take up to a year culminating with a practical and written examination that must be passed to gain the Blue Badge qualification.
There are no current plans to run any subsidised training programmes for further Blue Badge Guides for the Liverpool City Region. It is possible to qualify as a Blue Badge Guide privately through distance learning and individual assessment. Click here for more details but expect to pay £2,000 or more for the privilege.
Current number of Blue Badge guides in Liverpool City Region is 26
Qualified Blue Badge Guides can acquire further qualifications such as North West, Cumbria, Chester and North Wales following suitable training and examination
Green Badge (Level 3)
The Green Badge indicates similar in-depth knowledge as the blue Badge with the main difference that it covers a fixed route or more focussed geographical area. In this region this means Liverpool and predominantly Liverpool City Centre.
Current number of Green Badge Guides in Liverpool City Region is 11
There is a provisional plan to train some new Green Badge guides for 2009.
Site Guide (Level 2)
Similar to Level 3 but restricted to individual sites or buildings.
There are no plans currently to train more site guides.
Other Guiding qualifications:
Liverpool 08 Guides
TMP and Culture Liverpool identified a need in 2006 to train further guides to a less demanding (and expensive!) level to cater for anticipated demand in 2008 - Liverpool European Capital of Culture Year. Much of the available work for guides is repetitive in nature and does not require the broad ranging knowledge required for the Blue and Green Badge.
The Liverpool 08 qualification provides an entry-level route into guiding and is designed to equip guides with the techniques and basic knowledge they require to start guiding. Practice makes perfect and Liverpool 08 guides are gaining valuable guiding experience.
Liverpool 08 guides are only qualified to guide in the areas in which they have qualified.
Expressions of Interest
We have a long waiting list of those who wish to become guides. Not everyone makes a good guide and when subsidised training programmes are offered, TMP reserves the right to audition and select the best candidates.
If you would like to be considered for any future training programmes please complete this Expression of Interest, save and return (preferably by email) to guides@merseyside.org.uk or Guides, The Mersey Partnership, 12 Princes Parade, Liverpool L3 1BG. We will acknowledge receipt and contact you when the next suitable training programme is being planned.
International Visitor Hosts
In Spring 2011, The Mersey Partnership will offer fluent overseas language speakers the opportunity to attend a training programme to become Official Tourist Board accredited International Visitor Hosts.
International Visitor Hosts will work on a self-employed basis with overseas groups and individuals to undertake such roles as ‘meet and greet’, tour hosts and guided tours.
For more information on the programme and individual sessions click on the Media Downloads on this page.
