Tour Guides have a lot to complain about. Whether it is the accessibility to safe legal convenient pick up/ drop off areas, unlicensed Guides working without consequences, or respectable minimum rate of pay that is adhered to by all, you can find Guides sharing their thoughts and planning on how to solve the complaints.
It is interesting to note that one of the direst topics is not getting much press. Are local Guides becoming obsolete? I am not talking about the old debate of Tour Managers doing the job of a local Guide. I am talking about something that can have a much greater impact on the Guiding landscape. Electronic Guides.
Today’s city guide apps for smartphones are gaining in popularity as smartphone usage grows. They are cheaper than a live Tour Guide. They pause when we want to take a photo. They will endlessly repeat themselves if we did not hear the commentary over the horns of traffic. They are never overbooked and are available exactly when the clients want the information.
Imagine if you, as a Guide, had to compete with someone who had those characteristics. It is obvious that we would be seen as inferior. But since this competitor is a collection of computer programs we maintain the one key advantage, we are alive. Nothing can beat a live, entertaining, knowledgeable, professional local Guide showing you around his or her beloved city. Or can it?
