The World's Best Tour Guide?

There are more than 100.000 professional tourist guides in the world. When I say professional tourist guides I mean tourist guides who have undertaken special training to guide visitors around a city, region or a country. They have also been accredited or authorized in some way by a local authority.

So when I came across this article, which can be accessed via the link below, I remembered a discussion I once had with a colleague tourist guide in Iceland - who got upset when I signed off in a blog...”Stefan The world's best tour guide”.

He clearly himself thought he was.

Anyway, since tourist guides often work alone and in isolation they do not have a comparison who is the best guide. Neither do the guests who regularly write amazing comments about their guide, perhaps the only guide in the country they know. As a result guides get a big head and soon start to think they are the best tourist guides in the country - perhaps even the best tour guide in the world.

This said, every tour, every tourist guide-visitor encounter is unique. Most of the time, both enjoy the encounter which of course is what it is all about. To meet a friendly local who knows the facts but also is a superb people's person, connects visitors and locals, introduces visitors to new things is the guide to seek. And if the tour involves driving - a driver-guide must above all drive safely.

Read the article in the Travel+Leisure, click here.

Here are some visitor comments about me, for which I am very greatful. Best tourist guide in Iceland?