Tour leaders

With Easter approaching and summer not too far away, the Maltese have started planning their holidays. Travel agencies spoil us for choice.

But as much as the tours are tempting, the agencies tend to forget that not all their customers are repeat customers. Some would be taking a tour for the first time. Others take the tours so as not to waste time getting lost once they arrive at their holiday destination.

Once the customer settles into the hotel, the excursions begin. These are not free and come with an experienced tour leader. It has happened on more than one occasion to me and to people I know, that once at the excursion site, the leader tells us all to meet again at the same point at a given time. So there we are trying to find our way around and because the leader is not there to show us the main points of interest, we miss out on a lot.

Sometimes, on the other hand, elderly people can't keep pace with Daddy Long Legs who seems to be in such a rush. It does spoil the holiday for many.

The majority of leaders are great and will go out of their way to make your holiday a good one. But it is those few that make you wonder if you would want to use their agency again. A leader is a guide and that is what he/she is being paid for: To guide us around the city.