Czech Tourist Guide Qualification Exam key terms

Organised accompanying of visitors, providing commentary, orientation and practical assistance during a tour. In Czech law it is a bound trade, so commercial guides need a trade licence and documented professional competence.

Official permit issued by a municipal trade office allowing a person to run a trade in the Czech Republic, such as guiding. It must be obtained before services are offered commercially.

A trade whose operation the law conditions on proof of specific professional competence, set by government regulation. Guiding in tourism is listed among these trades.

Documented education, a recognised course or practical experience that the law requires for a bound trade. Guides prove it with diplomas or certificates when applying for a licence.

Czech act on certain business conditions in tourism; it regulates package travel, information duties and mandatory insolvency insurance for travel agencies. Guides should know its basic consumer-protection rules.

Written contract between a traveller and a tour operator stating itinerary, price, services, cancellation conditions and complaint procedure. It is the main legal document behind a package tour.

Detailed timetable of a tour giving times, places, transport, meals and activities. Guides use it for planning and clients receive it as a programme.

Calculation of all expected costs of a tour, such as transport, accommodation, guides and entrance fees, plus margin. It produces the price and shows where savings or risks lie.

List of tour participants showing room assignments, sharing arrangements and special requests, sent to hotels before arrival. Guides check it at check-in to avoid rooming errors.

Document or code confirming that a service has been prepaid, such as a hotel night, meal or entrance. The guide presents it to the supplier and keeps records.

Structured oral commentary in which a guide explains sights, history and context. Good practice means accuracy, clear structure, audience adaptation and a suitable pace.

A planned stop on a guided route where the group halts and the guide gives commentary about a particular building, view or event. Stops are chosen for safety and space.

Narrative technique using characters, tension and sequence to make information memorable. In guiding it must stay factually accurate and clearly separate legend from evidence.

Deliberate variation of pitch, speed and volume when speaking to a group. It keeps attention, marks important points and helps overcome background noise outdoors.

Information about how listeners respond, gained from observation, questions or comments. Guides use it to adjust content, pace, volume or route during a tour.

Fully concentrating on a client's words and feelings, summarising and asking questions to confirm understanding. It is essential when handling complaints, special needs or conflicts.

Structured response to a complaint: listen calmly, acknowledge, clarify facts, propose a realistic solution and follow up. The guide records the case and informs the tour operator.

Short briefing before transport, walking or an activity, explaining risks, rules, meeting points and emergency contacts. It is delivered in the group's language and confirmed by questions.

Immediate basic care for an injured or ill person before professional help arrives, including CPR, stopping bleeding and safe positioning. Guides must know how to call emergency services.

Single European emergency number connecting to medical, fire and police services. Guides should give an exact location and stay on the line as instructed.

Posted instructions showing exits and procedures for leaving a building or vehicle in an emergency. Guides point out exits and assembly points at hotels and venues.

Early medieval Slavic state in the 9th and early 10th century centred on Moravia, associated with Cyril and Methodius and the spread of Christianity. It is a key reference in Czech history narratives.

First Czech ruling dynasty, from the 9th century to 1306, who built the early state, Prague Castle and many churches. Their legacy is central to guiding in Bohemian historic towns.

Fourteenth-century Bohemian king and Holy Roman Emperor who founded Charles University in 1348, the New Town of Prague, and commissioned St Vitus Cathedral and Karlštejn Castle.

Battle of 1620 near Prague in which Habsburg and Catholic League forces defeated the Bohemian estates. It led to confiscations, recatholicisation and a changed political order.

Late eighteenth and nineteenth-century movement that revived Czech language, literature and national identity. Its monuments, museums and theatre are frequent stops on guided tours.

Non-violent protests and strikes in November 1989 that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Guides use it to explain the transition to democracy and later separation of the Czech Republic.

Heritage property of exceptional national significance declared by the Czech government. Guides should explain its protection status, conservation rules and why it matters.

Protected urban, rural, landscape or archaeological area with concentrated historic values and strict conservation rules. Examples include the historic cores of Prague, Český Krumlov and Telč.

Medieval architectural style with pointed arches, rib vaults and flying buttresses, flourishing in the Czech lands especially in the fourteenth century under Charles IV.

Seventeenth and eighteenth-century style using dramatic curves, domes, rich ornament and theatrical effects. It is strongly represented in Czech churches, monasteries and rural chapels.

Around 1900 style with flowing lines, floral motifs and metalwork, known in English as Art Nouveau. Prague's Obecní dům is a leading Czech example.

United Nations organisation that maintains the World Heritage List. Czech entries include Prague, Český Krumlov, Telč and Kutná Hora; guides explain the criteria and protection duties.

Geologically old mountain system covering most of Bohemia and its border ranges, with rounded ridges, basins and deep valleys. It forms the setting for many walking and hiking itineraries.

Large protected area where nature conservation has priority and visitor rules are strict. The Czech Republic has four: Krkonoše, Šumava, Podyjí and České Švýcarsko.

Protected landscape area with weaker restrictions than a national park, conserving habitats, landscape and traditional farming. Guides explain its rules on rural tours.

Area drained by a river and its tributaries. The Czech lands straddle the divides between the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea basins, which explains river directions.

Specialised vocabulary of a field such as architecture, history or transport. Guides need accurate foreign-language terms so that clients understand technical or legal points correctly.

Level of the Common European Framework meaning a speaker can understand and produce clear, detailed language on many topics. It is often a practical minimum for guiding in a foreign language.