Zohery 1

Mohammed Zohery
Sister Farida
Internship
1 August 2017
Interview at Zohery Tours
The District of Colombia, the capital of the United States of America, is home to over a

hundred-and-sixty monuments and memorials, which makes it no surprise that tourism is one of

the citys biggest industries and sources of income. For this reason, many people, including my

very own dad, decided to take advantage of this great opportunity and become tour guides. Each

tour guide comes with their own unique talents, motives, approach, and background, all of which

are factors in shaping themselves as tour guides. For this assignment, I decided to interview Mrs.

Marsha, a tour guide who works for Zohery Tours, just to get some insight on her story.

The first question that I asked her was about her job position at Zohery Tours, and

specifically how long she has been working at the company. Mrs. Marsha stated that she had

begun working at the company 10 years ago, starting in 2007. Her position was a regular tour

guide, one who could drive a bus (she had her CDL) and give the tour at the same time. Ever

since then, shes been conducting daytime tours, nighttime tours, and private tours.

The next question was about the steps she took in becoming a tour guide and the duration

of the process. Mrs. Marshas response was that she had to take the initiative in finding materials

about the nations capital and studied it well. She also said that she encouraged herself to

memorize important dates, significant events, and historical facts. To get an idea on how the tour

company specifically ran and conducted its tours, she referred to the DVD produced by Zohery

Tours to familiarize herself with their method.

 Zohery 2

After that, I asked her about the best part about being a tour guide. Mrs. Marsha pointed

out that the best part of it all is when she begins to catch the interest of the tourists with the

knowledge she shares; it gives her a sense of pride that she enlightens them, which she considers

as a service. Mrs. Marsha also enjoys the tips of $5, $10, and $20 the customers give her as

appreciation for her amount of effort she puts in.

The next question she was asked was about her favorite memorial in DC. Mrs. Marsha

mentioned the World War II Memorial, which is located within the National Mall, as her favorite

memorial for specific reasons. The memorial includes a round pool with two large fountains and

smaller fountains surrounding them. Surrounding the pool are fifty-six pillars, a pair of triumphal

arches, and large panel of 4,048 stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. She

mentions that she deeply appreciates how those 400 thousand people who lost their lives at war

are recognized for their sacrifice and bravery in a beautiful and stunning memorial, and thats

why she loves it more than the rest.

Just to wrap things up, I decided ask her about the pros and cons of the job position. Mrs.

Marsha reveals that it is crucial for her to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say it;

something I personally realized as I shadowed the tour guides. Sometimes, saying a trivial

piece of information would cause tourists to take offense, which can occur more frequently than

thought. Also, it is important to speak of what you know, as there may be a well-educated

historian sitting behind you who would expose your flaws. This all can also effect the tour guide

personally as well, as reviews can be written online about the experience and can determine

whether or not the tour guide is reliable. Finally, Mrs. Marsha stated that the key to a successful

tour is to make the tourist feel comfortable, as they are looking forward to creating happy

everlasting memories of a place theyre unfamiliar with; they may not be able to come back.