Tour Guide Manager

PROFILE

I am an accomplished Tour Manager and London Blue Badge Guide with over thirty years guiding and tour managing experience. I am able to offer a unique insight and specialist knowledge about the areas and countries that I work in, thereby giving my guests a greater touring experience. I am a highly determined and energetic individual, who enjoys getting different personalities to gel together on the tour. I accomplish this through my own enthusiasm, strong leadership abilities, common sense, pragmatism and a good sense of humor. I have excellent presentation and communication skills. I am flexible and unflappable and realize the importance of maintaining a good professional relationship when liaising with suppliers and colleagues. I enjoy working with a range of clientele in a variety of environments.

EXPERIENCE

I have worked as a freelance Tour Manager and Blue Badge Guide for a number of different travel companies over the past thirty years.

As a Tour Manager I have conducted tours of Britain and Ireland as well as many European destinations for various tour operators. I have been responsible for the planning, research and logistics of the tour, dealt with hotels, coach companies and other suppliers, delivered commentaries throughout and acted as the local guide in many of the major cities or sights on the tour. I have also been consulted by tour operators when putting itineraries together.

I have worked with student groups and lead music tours with choirs, bands and orchestras from the USA, which involved coordinating performance arrangements as well as the regular tour managing and guiding duties.

As a London Blue Badge Guide I have worked with various companies guiding groups of different nationalities. This includes giving specialist knowledge of the interior of buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. I also conduct day tours from London to cities such as Oxford, Stratford, Bath, Windsor and Canterbury. As a driver guide I specialize in tours of England’s ancient landscape and I have an in-depth knowledge of the South West of England including both Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles, ancient burial mounds and hill forts.

EDUCATION

Blue Badge Guide (1987)

Successfully completed the London Blue Badge Guides course.

Endorsements for Lambeth Palace (1993) and the Museum of London (2000)

British Isles Study Programs (1986)

Successfully completed a Tour Managers training course run by Trafalgar Tours.

PCV License (1985)

Successfully completed a course to drive a coach.

BA (HONS) Degree in History – University of London (1977-1980)

5 A Levels: History, English Language & Literature, Geography and Maths (1977)

8 O Levels: (1975)

PERSONAL INTERESTS

History and travel have long been two great interests of mine and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to combine both in my working life. I have travelled extensively throughout the World for work and pleasure.

Between the years 2007 and 2012 I took a career break so that I could fulfill a dream of riding a bicycle around the World. This trip took me through almost thirty different countries and brought me into contact with people from all over the World. I was able to volunteer in many of the countries that I visited which mainly involved helping out in the local community.

ROBERT HALKETT

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