Benefits
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With 15 years of experience as a tour guide, and more than 20 years in the Tourism field – from running Youth Hostels to planning Itineraries for Groups, I can help you arrange special trips for student, tourism and business trips. Make every minute count! |
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A variety of specialized itineraries, according to the duration of your visit and your personal interests, can be arranged: archaeology, art, religion, nature, folklore, architecture, military, etc. |
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I can also offer assistance right from the start - upon arrival at Malta International Airport or at Grand Harbour. |
GUIDE (F.A.)Q.'S
Why take a Guided Tour? - It is a quick way to see the highlights of a location and orientate yourself in your new surroundings.
Isn't an Organised Tour inflexible? - Yes, but you tend to save money and time. Plus it helps you decide what you like and go back to explore it in detail.
Why not read the book and wander around? - This is a good idea if you want total freedom and want to be independent. BUT if you are inquisitive, the book won't be able to answer your questions...
The Best of all worlds? - is a Private Tour with your own Guide.
*You set your own pace. See as much as you wish.... Or slow down and linger where you feel the need.
**You set your own itinerary and choose the things that interest you.
***The whole tour need not follow the masses and you can see more detail.
****As you do not have to wait for anyone to get back to their seats or file past a display, you could easily see
the equivalent of two days' coach tours in a single day - making it very good value.
This type of tour suits you particularly if:
* Find that Coaches / Buses are not easy on Accessibility.
* For Personal Security Reasons.
PITFALLS in MALTA
A few (prominently advertised) firms promise "FULLY GUIDED" tours and then tell you that your driver will answer your questions! Check carefully if their driver is a trained and qualified guide. So unless your questions are simple, generic........and you don't expect a proper answer.....
Actually, according to Maltese law a tour must be led by a qualified guide......so if the adverts say that the driver is talking to you........
THERE ARE ONLY FOUR QUALIFIED DRIVER-GUIDES IN MALTA. ONE OF US DOES NOT DO THIS JOB ANY LONGER AND THE OTHER ONE IS ONLY QUALIFIED TO TOUR GOZO.
A Guide's Role, as defined by the World Federation of Tour Guides' Associations is:
Tourist Guide :
A person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and
interprets the cultural and natural heritage of an area which person normally
possesses an area-specific qualification usually issued and/or
recognized by the appropriate authority.
PREN 138609 OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION ( CEN)
Adopted by WFTGA
at its Dunblane, Scotland Convention 2003
I adhere to the 'Federation Europeenne des Guides' Quality Charter as listed below
As tourist guiding professionals qualified in heritage interpretation FEG Members provide a warm welcome to visitors.
The quality of our service derives from our belief in two fundamental principles : respect for our visitors as representatives of their own particular cultural traditions, and respect for our specific part of the common European cultural heritage.
Our objective is the aim to inform enthusiastically and entertainingly as we share the riches of our natural and cultural heritage.
Our undertaking is a constant striving towards ongoing development of our expertise, ever greater adaptability and approachability and appropriate behaviour.
Our professionalism is assured through established standards and best practice recommendations covering the following issues:
| Welcome - A warm welcome is assured by courteous, smiling, appropriately dressed and punctual guides who are ever conscious of the well-being of the visitor. |
| Communication - Our success in customer satisfaction is based on the provision of correct, up to date information combined with interpersonal and communications skills. |
| Knowledge - Although bringing key qualities and previous qualifications, we qualify as tourist guides through thorough academic and vocational training. We prepare each assignment with regard to relevant and specific criteria giving varied, selected presentations. |
| Continuing Professional Development - We constantly seek to improve our professional performance, taking the opportunity to expand our range of knowledge by following further courses and re-assessing our skills wherever possible, particularly in the field of languages and enthusiastic and lively communication. |
| Organisation - The focus here is on keeping to time, fulfilling the itinerary and ability to cope with the unexpected without losing sight of principal objectives. |
| Competence - Only those engagements that are within our personal expertise are accepted. This relates not only to our area of qualification, but also to other relevant competences such as languages, additional qualifications, etc. |
| Confidentiality - The principles of professional integrity and discretion are applied without fail within the framework of all engagements. |
| Ethics - Local and national regulations are always respected along with exercising a collaborative spirit towards colleagues and site staff, presenting overall a positive image of our profession. |
Ratified at
the VIth European Tourist Guide Convention in Syracuse, Sicily, 2004
FEG was founded in 1986 and comprises 12 national associations representing
20,000 guides