Published Destination Features

My article is on this issue!! http://www.sayl.fi/suomi-usa-lehti

Tan-Ta-Ra Summer 2012?

Jesse just left last week.  Great student!!! was the reply from Tan-Ta-Ra this means I am taking applications for those wishing to spend the summer there!
Tan-Tar-A Resort, Golf Club, Marina & Indoor Waterpark
www.Tan-Tar-A.com  

JOBS: Cunard International Host/ess

International Host/essJob Description
Principal Functions
General Duties
· Acts as host (ess) and liaison for French- / German- / Japanese- / Spanish-speaking passengers.
· Assists with Entertainment Staff duties.
Specific Duties
· Translates Daily Programs, menus and sundry passenger information.
· Staffs a reception/hospitality desk, dealing with all inquiries for non-English-speaking guests.
· Translates speeches and announcements.
· Delivers lectures embarkation- , disembarkation procedures etc.
· Conducts foreign languages lessons for English-speaking passengers, ("German for beginners" etc.)
· Socialises with passengers, particularly in the evening.
Requirements
Skills Necessary
· Fluency in English, both written and spoken as well as two of the following languages: German, French, Spanish and Japanese.
· A good working knowledge of gastronomic terminology.
· A pleasant speaking voice and good microphone technique.
· Computer literacy (at present using PC based Words for Windows programs).
· An outgoing personality and good conversational skills.
· Immaculate appearance.
· Strong Presentation skills

Travel Book Club Review: “The Tourist Guide”

By: T&T GEOG 363 Cayleen Merrifield
Eric Cohen’s journal “The Tourist Guide” was very interesting to read.  It gave the reader a lot of important information about being a tour guide, and broke it down so that it was easy to understand.  He broke it into two different categories, one was the leadership sphere and the other was the mediatory sphere.  Cohen then broke it down even further to better explain what each sphere consisted of.

            For the leadership sphere Cohen split it into two components.  There is the instrumental component, which has three main elements to it.  And the social component which has four elements that make it up.  The instrumental component mainly talks about direction and how it is the guide’s job to be able to lead their party to the “objects of interest” and to also have knowledge of the sites they are seeing.  Another thing he talked about in this component was how guides are also given access to areas that are normally off limits to the public and also how guides are to have control for the safety and security of their party.  The two elements that are talked about in the social component that I thought were important was how to manage tension and also how to keep morale up. These are two important skills that a tour guide needs to learn.

            The mediatory sphere also has two main components that make it up and they are interactional and communicative.  Interactional talked mainly about how it is a guide’s job to be the middleman from hotels and restaurants to making sure that they see what they want to see and distract them from the sites that would be less pleasant.  How to communicate to your party is also a very important factor for a tour guide.  In the communicative section Cohen talked about how it is the guide’s job to select what information they are going to give to their group.  He also said that while it is ok to present something as “authentic” only when it is blatantly obvious that it is a staged attraction, this is called “keying”, it is important not to take it too far and “fabricate” the information.

            I think that by reading this journal alone could help someone be able to understand what it is to be a tour guide.  The information that this journal gives can benefit anyone who wants to be a tour guide and it is easy to understand.  Eric Cohen did a great job in highlighting the main components of what a tour guide needs to do to be successful.

The China Buzz by Justine Barron

The China Buzz by Justine Barron

As a student enrolled in the Travel and Tourism program it has always been a goal of mine to go abroad on an international internship. Sounds like a pretty fair tradeoff, huh? Send me to a foreign country, I work for six months. Here’s the best part, not only do I get real industry work experience in a luxurious hotel but I get to live, travel, and experience the culture all with the money I make as an intern. Many of the opportunities for our program include destinations in exotic places such as the Caribbean, Maldives, and South Pacific Islands. Instead of choosing exotic, I traded in my tan for a cultural experience that I will never regret.

The excitement I felt before leaving was building up and I was on a mission to tell everyone. But to my surprise, the reaction I was getting from those around me wasn’t what I expected. For the first time I was going beyond the comfortable boarders of the United States to venture into an unfamiliar culture and the response I received was, “Why China?”

Well, I say, “Why not?”

China: An enormous nation built upon one of the earliest known civilizations; rich in history, culture, excellent food, beautiful landscapes, rapidly growing cities, a booming economy, and home to billions of proud citizens.

The country that was mainly cut off from the western world has only recently been revealed. What they have to offer is even greater than what many may have expected. Business in China is growing faster than most can keep up with. One industry that is emerging in most recent years is Tourism. The world caught a glimpse of China’s hidden charm during the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing and then 2 short years later at the World Expo in Shanghai. The Chinese business culture is drawing in all kinds of visitors from different regions of the world. Many of which are excited to explore this beautiful country. Luckily for their tourism industry they already have the foundation to satisfy this demand.

At 22 years old, I am fortunate enough to have experienced firsthand what the China buzz is all about. Where ever you go in the country—whether it is Beijing in the North, Guangzhou or Hong Kong in the South, Shanghai to the East, or the mountains region to the west—there is an endless list of cultural, historic, natural, and modern sites to see. Each region emits a different vibe drawing in countless visitors. Only being in the country for 6 months, with almost 80% of that time contributed to work, there was little to spare for travel. To do and see as much as possible, corners had to be cut. Spending an afternoon in the busy international city of Hong Kong, after a full day of work taking a 13 hour overnight train to modern Shanghai, and saving up 5 off days to visit the breathtaking historic city of Beijing would be the sacrifice.

My placement was in a smaller city of only 3.5 million residents. Taiyuan, unlike the larger cities such as Beijing, is less developed and English is scarce making everyday life a little more difficult for a foreigner. An average day to the store consisted of getting on one of the many crowded buses, strategizing a plan to make your way to the back, counting how many stops until you need to get off, and making sure you don’t get trampled on the way out. As a westerner this way of life took some time to adjust to.

Many challenges came along with living in a developing city on top of not knowing the language. Being from an individualistic culture it was natural for me to do things on my own. But, figuring out how was the hard part. In the beginning, ordinary tasks were overwhelming because of the language barrier but learning how to communicate without words became instinct. Another struggle came from being an outsider looking in. My whole life I’ve lived in an area where I was the majority. Spending time out of this comfort zone has given me a different perspective. I feel blessed to have lived in a smaller, less known city because of the experience that came with it.

With its thriving economy China’s cities are growing fast and Taiyuan is no different. I could see infrastructure and modernization happening before my eyes. This was truly incredible to witness. Upon returning home I was surprised to hear China was the focus of conversation; on the news, the front cover of TIME magazine, and even at the dinner table. Since then people have asked me what the buzz is about, “Why China?”

Holland America Cruise Lines

Key Job Responsibilities for Travel Guides: Performance: Give dynamic PowerPoint presentations about the ports of call and related topics of interest Provide knowledgeable and accurate information about the itinerary in a exciting and educational way Drive revenue to Shore Excursions onboard by promoting tours whenever appropriate Provide entertaining and informative narration from the bridge in specified scenic cruising areas Programming: Prepare and develop PowerPoint presentations based on the itinerary Present a minimum of two (2) presentations on sea days and one (1) on partial sea days Manage daily schedule with direction from the Event Manager and Seattle Enrichment Manager Foster a positive working relationship with other departments, particularly Shore Excursions Lead travel-oriented entertainment activities (i.e. “Travel Trivia” and language classes) Share knowledge collected by adding presentations and resource materials to the E-Resource Library Guest Relations: Greet guests on the gangway/tender dock when in port to answer last-minute questions Interact with guests in a positive and helpful manner Positively represent Holland America Line both on and off the ship Hold adequate desk hours (minimum of two hours per day) to answer guest questions Policies and Procedures: Read and follow MOM E04 – EXPLORE OUR WORLD. Adhere to uniform policies, appearing professional and well groomed at all times. Comply with Health, Safety and Environmental Practices Provide an accurate and in-depth handover at end of contract. PLEASE INCLUDE A RECENT PHOTOGRAPH OR PROMOTIONAL HEADSHOT WITH YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER.

Professional Associations to consider

§(TCC) Traveler’s Century Club

§The EXPLORERS Club, NYC

§(SATW)  Society of American Travel Writers

§(RGS) Royal Geographical Society of England

§(SWG) The Society of Woman Geographers

 Members: Amelia Earhart, Silvia Earle, Jane Goodall

§(I-CHRIE) International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education

§(TIES) International Ecotourism Society

§ (NAI) National Association for Interpretation 

§ (AZA) American Zoo and Aquarium Association 

§ (SEJ) Society of Environmental Journalists