Discover Canada Tours - Join the Team!
Tour Guide
Description
TOUR GUIDES
(Step on Guides and Driver Guides for Summer 2024)
JOB TYPE:
Step on Guides - Part Time / Seasonal - Starting May to the end of September
Driver Guides - Full Time / Seasonal - Starting May to the end of October
Paid Training - conducted in April.
Our Tour Guides will be responsible for the daily on-tour operations, providing excellent tour commentary and ultimately ensuring our guests have the trip of a lifetime. We are looking for people to join our team who possess a great personality, a passion for travel, and a commitment to excellence.
As part of Discover Canada Tours, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and fun industry, meet and work with people from all over the world, all while gaining valuable and fulfilling work experience.
Who are we?
Discover Canada Tours specialises in providing the best experiences in Western Canada through continuously developing innovative year-round tours. We focus on adventurers of all ages by committing to provide our guests with unforgettable, authentic travel and sightseeing experiences for the best value. Our objective is to share our love of Canada with the world! Our adventurers are always our top priority and we strive to give each and every adventurer “the time of their lives”.
Founded as a division of Uniglobe Specialty Travel Ltd. in 2005, DCT is a local family owned and operated business located in downtown Vancouver. Over the years we have evolved to accommodate a diverse array of adventurers from all corners of the world. Our portfolio of brands under Discover Canada Tours include: Discover Canada Student Adventures, Destination Snow, West Trek, West Trek Social Club, and most recently Discover Vancouver Tours.
You could be the perfect fit if you have:
- A great, fun-loving, personality
- Desire to entertain others
- Ability to tell interesting and engaging stories
- Excellent knowledge of Canada, especially Western Canada
- Reliable, flexible and adaptable
- Drive to go above and beyond for the client, the company and yourself
- Previous tour guiding experience a huge advantage
- Ability to think on your feet and handle stressful situations calmly and professionally
- The ability to speak a second language is an asset (German/French/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/Mandarin/Japanese/Korean)
- The following qualifications are required and non-negotiable:
- First Aid certificate (Standard First Aid & CPR C (equivalent to OFA Level 1)
- A permit to legally live and work in Canada
- Criminal Record check with vulnerable sector (DCSA brand works with mainly High School Students)
Qualifications & Skills
- Professional attitude and appearance
- Excellent organisation, time management and communication skills
- Ability to solve problems and work under pressure
- Be able to respond to changing conditions or unexpected events in a calm manner
- Awareness of potential safety issues
- Be able to respond to changing conditions or unexpected events in a calm manner
- Commitment to continuous self improvement
- A passion for Canada and our wondrous landscape
- Available on weekdays, weekends and holidays between May and October (Flexibility)
- Be Tech savvy - Knowledge of social media postings and basic app use
- Knowledge of history and the geography of Western Canada and the N-West US an asset
- Ability to speak a second language is an asset – please indicate on resume
- Additional entertainment skills, for example musical abilities is a big asset, but not required
Responsibilities include:
- Efficiently maintain prepared tour schedule
- Passionately deliver commentary and stories to our guests throughout the tour
- Connect with people by creating and maintaining positive relationship with guests throughout the tour
- Record digital and or live footage of your tour as assigned for Marketing purposes
- Communicate with operations how and when you will be returning tour (paperwork/receipts)
- Keep track of your assigned schedule and possible changes
- Keep track of your expenses and summits receipts at the end of each trip
- Attend staff meetings and social events
Our Brands
Working for Discover Canada Tours will allow you to work for a variety of guests who book tours based on our extensive brand portfolio. Below are the characteristics we are looking for in a potential guide for each of our brands.
West Trek Tour Guide or (West Trek Social Club ) WTSC Ambassador.
- Story Teller
- Have high energy and guest engagement
- Creating a fun and entertaining interactions - encourages guest participation
- Good commentary
Discover Canada Tours Guide
- Story Teller
- Focuses on commentary
- History and Wilderness buff
- Accommodate to a more mature clientele
- Ability to handle a diverse clientele with varying ages and nationalities
- Guests have possibly paid for one of our Premium Product (Rockies Prem, Inside Passage, Western Canada, Pacific Rim tour)
Discover Canada Student Adventures (DCSA) Tour Guides
- Story teller
- Creating a fun and engaging atmosphere
- Aware of the various ages of the students
- Education vs Having Fun (Finding out the importance of the group)
Discover Vancouver Tours (DCT Premium Products and Daily departures)
- Story Teller
- Big Focus on commentary and interesting facts
- More mature group with very high expectations
- Ensure attention to detail when following itinerary
- Understanding guests expectations - Take time to find out their highlights for this trip
- Driver Guide
Destination Snow Guide (Winter) - Stay through the summer and you will be able to join the winter team
- Fun and Engaging personality
- Organised
- Creates fun and entertaining interactions
- Loves to ski / snowboard - Part of Pay Package
What we offer:
EXPLORATION
Be part of a team of experienced guides who are enthusiastic about showing off the best areas of the Pacific Northwest while bringing your personal touch to each adventure. Every guide has their favourite regions of British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains. Every tour will allow you to craft your story and give the perfect delivery while taking guests to beautiful new destinations. Let us know what your favourite is!
GROWTH
This is the perfect opportunity to further your guiding career, learn, grow and ultimately become a master guide with the motivation to refine your skills. We offer paid Class 4 driver training for the right candidates. From there you can grow into a Driver Guide, lead longer tours, explore all our brands and become a tours guide trainer.
LIFESTYLE
Flexible working hours and days that allows you to refine your skill set while enjoying life.
GIVING BACK
In this job, you have the opportunity to promote local tourism, support small businesses in the communities we visit, and have a positive impact on the environment through working towards sustainable tourism.
FEEL AT HOME
Discover Canada Tours is a family-owned company that values each employee’s well being and interest. We take a keen interest in your life and the work-life balance that you should achieve. Remember, you should work to live and not live to work. If you do what you love, it will never feel like work!
ADDITIONAL PERKS
- Commissions and Sales incentives
- Opportunity to join the Tourism Privilege Pass (Free admission/discounts to 90 attractions)
- Downtown Vancouver office and Bus Yard
- Discounts for family and friends on all of our day and multi day tours
- Paid Training (Free Driver Training course for the right candidates)
- Staff bonding events
Payment Structure:
Competitive wage based on experience and qualifications (to be discussed)
Average of $17-21 p/h Step on Guides - Most Tours are based on a set tour rate
Average of $20-26 p/h for Drivers and Driver Guides - Most tours are base on a set tour rate
Training and Training Tours conducted at minimum wage
How To Apply
Please click the "Apply Now" button at the top of this page. Ensure you include a resume and cover letter.
Additional Notes
- Only suitable candidates will be contacted.
- All potential hires are required to be able to get to departure points on their own.
- One of our major departure points is Canada Place in downtown Vancouver.
- No phone calls, please. Apply through company website
Discover Canada Tours is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on qualifications. Decisions are made without regard to race, colour, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Discover Canada Tours respectfully acknowledges the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations on which our offices are located.