William Chu Wai-ming, freelance tour guide for Swire Travel, enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and showing them what the SAR has to offer
I HAVE BEEN a tour guide for 11 years. I handle English-speaking inbound groups, so English speaking and listening skills are essential. Having some knowledge of other languages is useful.
On a normal working day, the first thing I do is meet and greet the tour group at the airport or train station. On the coach, on the way to the hotel, I give them information on the various interesting aspects of Hong Kong airport and the transport links. At the hotel, I provide some suggestions about nearby restaurants, convenient locations to shop and money changers. The schedule of my job varies, but that is expected because tour groups arrive in Hong Kong at various times of the day or night. Sometimes I join the group for dinner. I try to manage a work schedule that will give me time to spend with my family.
I meet the tour group again the next day. Mostly, tourists like to take the half day Hong Kong Island tour. I have to make the tour entertaining with my narrative. For example, the escalator link is simply an alternative route to get from Central to Mid-Levels for Hong Kong people. But for tourists, it is unique, with a number of background stories related to it. I will make the uphill experience interesting and tell them about the places around the escalator, like a visit to the former governor Chris Patten's favourite egg tart shop, or the temple and antique shops while explaining the practice of Taoism. I have to equip myself with enough knowledge of Hong Kong so that if I am asked questions I am able to answer them.
I need to read a lot and keep up to date with essential facts about Hong Kong, including the politics here. You never know what a tourist might ask. I have to provide an informative narrative which could be on historical, geographical and cultural aspects of the city.
Working as a tour guide in Hong Kong requires professional training and endorsement. In 2003, I sat for two examinations, theory and practice, to qualify for the Tourist Guide Pass. This licence is necessary for all tour guides. The two-month course prepared me for theoretical and practical knowledge. For the practical examination I had to give a tour commentary on a bus and the examiners checked how I presented myself. In this job, a pleasant personality and a smiling face are important.