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If you travel outside of the country often on business, you would probably enjoy the services of a personal travel guide. Personal travel guides for the commercial traveler are in demand and work in many different capacities. Not all personal travel guides actually accompany an individual during their travels.
Many personal travel guides act as virtual tour guides during a trip. They are on call, 24 hours a day, during your trip. Because of access to the internet and cell phones virtually everywhere in the world, there is no need for someone to actually accompany you around. This can easily be the job of one or two individuals who are familiar with the country where you are visiting and understand their customs.
Some business travel agencies also offer the services of international travel hosts who actually are stationed in the country which you are visiting and will meet with you during your trip to help you become acclimated to the customs of the new country. They will translate languages for you and show you how to convert currency. Many large business engage the services of such individuals if they are having a convention in a distant country and want a host who will show their commercial travelers around.
Although it is more common for business travelers to use a personal travel guide during a business trip, those traveling for pleasure can also make use of the services offered by a personal travel guide.
Travel services include the following:
Cultural information: This can be very important when visiting another country, particularly if you are visiting for business purposes and hope to gain business from an individual from that country. It is not only imperative that you know how to communicate with that individual, but that you also respect any customs. For example, in most of the Far East, it is considered very improper to go into a home with shoes on. In some cultures, touching a person on the head can be considered rude. It is essential to know about international customs to avoid offending anyone with whom you wish to do business during your trip. Your personal travel guide will be able to advise you on how to behave.
Money information: Your personal travel guide will be able to tell you the rate of exchange for different items so that you do not get cheated when making a purchase or eating in a restaurant. A good personal travel guide can also tell you the best places to go to exchange your currency for the currency used in the country that you are visiting.
First Aid Assistance: If you fall ill during your business trip, your personal travel guide will be able to see to it that you get the medical attention that you need. They will be able to tell you whether to go to a doctor, clinic or hospital and will assist you in getting there.
Tourist Traps: Your personal travel guide will be quite familiar with all of the tourist traps that are designed to entice travelers and bilk them out of hard earned money in the area in which you are traveling. Because they are so familiar with the area, they will be able to warn you about which places you wish to avoid.
Accommodations and Food: A personal travel guide will not only be able to help the commercial traveler avoid certain notorious tourist traps, but will also be able to direct him or her to the best places to stay and eat as well as shop in the area that they are visiting. This can be an invaluable service to both the commercial traveler as well as the holiday traveler. Imagine knowing where all of the best restaurants are in a new city! This alone can be well worth the price paid to a personal travel guide.
Other services that a personal travel guide can provide can be making sure that you get proper convention rooms in a hotel, language translation and safety information. A personal travel guide or international travel host can be well worth any money paid to these individuals during any type of travel, particularly if it is to a country or place in which you are unfamiliar.
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