Are you looking for a work-at-home job that is not a phone job? Do you want something very different and exciting? Have you always had a secret love of travel? Then becoming a virtual tour guide might be something of interest to you, and this article will highlight three companies that will pay you to do this.
What is a Virtual Tour Guide?
A virtual tour guide is someone who gives a tour in real-time online instead of in person offline. These tours can be of historical landmarks, famous restaurants or even major tourist spots.
What Are Three Companies That Hire Virtual Tour Guides and What Do They Require?
#1 – Vayable – This company is really looking for those unique, “you-heard-it-here-first” experiences. Vayable refers to their virtual tour guides as insiders, and that is just what they want—insiders who live in an area and can give a totally unique perspective. That perspective can be from a local teacher or even a tour bus driver as only they could tell it. Your role would actually be more a virtual tour guide or travel consultant as you might be asked your opinion on local hotels and restaurants.
Once you sign up at Vayable and have your identity verified, you would create a profile for yourself. Once you begin receiving feedback and ratings, you can always raise your rates. Vayable will do all of the marketing for you as well as provide you with a way to accept credit cards and tools to market your business. You will need a Smartphone or iPhone to record and edit your videos. Most of the tour guides are charging $25 to $45 an hour.
If you are interested in signing up, then go to their Become an insider link at the bottom of the Guide page. You can also read our overview of Vayable for more detailed information.
#2 – Nonlocal – This company is looking for your accumulated collection of tours. Whether or not you live in an area on a regular basis is not important. Any place that you have visited and shot a good virtual tour of, and you can get there in a reasonable amount of time to start your main tour is something that you can post in your profile. These posted videos should really act more like a mini-tour as you will want to save the rest of your tour for the booked and paid event.
Once you create an account, you will receive both questions about your tour as well as those ready to book a tour with you. You may conduct the tour in a number of languages as well as choosing which streaming video (Skype, FaceTime, YouTube Live Stream, Google Hangouts) you want to use to share the tour.
Nonlocal will accept payment from the tourists via all major credit cards and then send your part of the payment (minus their 11% fee) to your PayPal account. Nonlocal also offers several articles and documents for getting started and becoming a successful tour guide. With Nonlocal, you can also snap pictures for the tourist upon their request as you conduct the tour as well as charge a small down payment upfront for souvenirs.
Outside of your streaming video software, you will need a Smartphone or iPhone, and it is recommended that you download Ookla to test your speed. It seems to vary with how much money you can make as a virtual tour guide at Nonlocal, but it does seem to be in the $25 to $35 an hour range.
#3 – Georama is another site that hires virtual tour guides and refers to them as experts and influencers. Experts are the more “traditional” tour guides and influencers are more the explorers with a flair for adventure within the tour.
This 21-person company has employees spread throughout the world all dedicated to helping tourists visit places that they may not be able to visit due to health, financial or time restrictions. Georama has its own app for you to download to your Smartphone and use to become a virtual tour guide. You must have the app first before you can sign up to become a tour guide. Once downloaded, you may create your profile and schedule your tours.
Tour guides at Georama appear to be making about the same as the tour guides for Vayable and Nonlocal.
In Conclusion
So, there you have it. You can apply to become a virtual tour guide at any one of these companies or possibly even more opening up in the future.
Interested in starting up your own business as a tour guide? This eBook is written to give insight on making that work.
Thanks for passing this my way! As an avid traveler with a passion for seeing the world and sharing my experiences this would be perfect for me.
@Jeneba, that’s great! Have you also tried travel writing and/or the use of AirBNB as other income streams to feed your travel passion? Just curious. As a coach, I am always fascinated and generally interested in what others are doing to fulfill their passions, interests, and career yearnings.
Hi Leisa,
Thanks for putting this together and sharing this with us. I’m sure there a lot of people out there who would love to do this.
Passing this along. Hope you’re having a great day!
Cori
@Corina – As always, thank you for passing the article along.