Introduction to ecotourism/IET101/Introduction/Ecotourism guiding

The skills needed by Ecotourism Guides

Guides work in a wide range of environments, with a diversity of activities, and the knowledge and expertise required can vary enormously. As each situation is unique, an ecotourism guide needs a wide range of skills and competencies. These skills can be grouped as either hard skills, soft skills or conceptual skills.

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HARD SKILLS

In terms of hard skills, guides are always in a position of responsibility and need the skills that ensure the safety and wellbeing of the group. This means they have to have good organization and administrative skills as well as a set of technical skills, such as white water rafting skills that are relevant to the particular experience being provided.

SOFT SKILLS

In terms of soft skills, combining solid knowledge of the resource, knowledge of the audience and using appropriate interpretive techniques is essential to providing a quality experience. Guides act as ‘brokers’ providing information about the site to the visitor, facilitating social interaction between members of the group, motivating the visitor to behave in ways that will encourage conservation, and may, depending on the situation, act as cultural hosts facilitating interaction with the local community.

CONCEPTUAL SKILLS

Conceptual skills incorporate complex thinking. For example an ecotourism guide conducting a white water rafting experience needs to plan a safe trip through the river rapids. Guides in Africa have to navigate a safe tour through the Serengeti Plain and be aware of the dangers of human-wildlife interactions. This requires problem solving, critical thinking and judgment.

Table 1. Hard skills, soft skills and conceptual skills relevant to outdoor education.

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(Adapted from Shooter, Sibthorp and Paiseley, 2009)

Think about your guiding triangle and identify the skills required in your guiding activity.

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