Inbound Tour Guides
Overview
Introduction
Tour guides (sometimes called escorts) lead groups of people to sites of interest. Specifically, those leading short excursions to famous American destinations are called inbound tour guides. Inbound tours may last a few hours or overnight. Guides provide an important service to the travel and tourism industry by promoting their specific area. New York, the top travel destination for foreign travelers, has more than 1,050 tour operators, according to IBISWorld. Some define inbound tourism as guidi...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that tour and travel guides had median annual earnings of $36,060 in May 2023. Salaries ranged from $25,930 to $58,620 or more. Fifty percent of tour and travel guides earned between $30,530 and $44,520. The top-five highest paying states and territories were Idaho, Wyoming, District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Alaska.
The work of an inbound tour...
Work Environment
Guides have varied work environments, depending on the type of tours they give. Tour bus operators may spend the majority of the day comfortably seated, but many times they are stressed from maneuvering around traffic or pedestrians while giving their tour commentary. Guides who conduct walking tours must often work outdoors, and may face inclement weather or rugged terrain (in a location such ...
Outlook
Employment for tour guides is expected to grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Jobs will be steadily available due to a predicted increase in international travel to the United States over the next few years, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). In 2018, about 79.9 million international tourists visited the Uni...
