About Lesson
- A required tour commentary is a memorized script usually provided by a company for its guides. Deviations from the required commentary are highly discouraged, if not prohibited by the company. An example of the spiel delivered by guides in a theme park attraction.
- Sometimes referred to as interpretation, an informative commentary highlights the guide’s role as an educator. Through an informative commentary, the tour guide explains to the visitors the meaning and relevance of the things and symbols in the environment in a language that the visitors could easily understand and relate to.
- When requested or asked, tour guides shall provide commentary to address particular needs and inquiries of the tourists. Although this type of commentary can be called for on an ad hoc basis, tour guides must still come prepared. In this regard, it is important for tour guides to know their assigned city or location very well.
- Optional commentaries highlight the guide’s engaging and entertaining traits. Like the requested commentary, an optional commentary allows for the tour guide’s deeper involvement in a conversation and analysis. In this way, the tourists can have a better appreciation of the tour and the attraction.