h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is it advisable to hire a tour guide before arrival in Morocco!

a quality guide also enjoys a guiding job well done* Even though local knowledge can be a real asset, more important are the quality, competence and conscientiousness of your guide.

If your guide has been well trained, he or she should have no problem.

This is a central question to which you should try to get an answer before you sign up for a tour. Even if you don't know any of the guides in a particular guide service, stating such things as years of experience, guiding credentials and other potentially useful information.(most do).

When you contact a guide service about a trip, be sure to ask who is likely to be your guide. Because of scheduling constraints and sign-up uncertainties, they may have a tough time answering your question. The staff of most guide services include a range of experience and qualification levels among their guides. In order to avoid getting the least experienced or uncertified guides, for your own peace of mind, you should press for an answer to your question. Looking at the published material describing staff it can sometimes be difficult to tell who is best. Read the section down below on Qualifications and Training for more information.

If you know you would like a specific guide, - perhaps you have heard good things about a particular guide or maybe you had a great previous trip with that guide - request him or her. Make every effort to convince whoever does the scheduling to guarantee your guide of choice.

If you have a favorite guide, but that guide is not available, ask for a recommendation for another name. Ask your favorite guide, or someone else you trust. Someone with whom you have developed a personal relationship is more likely to keep your interests at heart in making a recommendation. Most good guides have good relationships with their competitors. If they recommend you to a competitor, that speaks well of both the guide doing the recommending and of the competitor.

There are a number of different credentials you might come across in your search for a guide or guide service in Morocco.

The main thing to remember is that you are going to Spend a Significant amount of time and Money on an outing with a guide.

We recommend hiring a Certified guide, and furthermore one who is Certified in the discipline appropriate for the trip you're planning..

Low ratios are generally more expensive, but the increase in Comfort and safety normally make them well worth the extra Cost.

Consumers should understand the difference between Accreditation and Certification. Only Certification Can make any claims about the skill or training of an individual guide.

Morocco guides who have received their Tour guiding certification in discipline and guiding are qualified as Licensed Guides, and have gained the access rights nationally.

In your search for a guide it is worth having a good understanding of these various credentials. Some guides will claim that guides training and examination is all a bunch of nonsense, but you should draw your own conclusions.

If I were shopping for a guide I would first look for Licensed guide. In Morocco only Licensed/certified guides, accredited schools and supporting (financially) members are legally permitted to use the License, and they must display the necessary explanatory text, such as Certified, Accredited, or Supporting.

If you are planning a trip to an African country including Morocco, you should seek out an AUTHENTIC Private Guide to be sure of the legality of their commercial operation there. HAPPY TRAVELS

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