Interview of Angel Mota, Receptour guide

Meet Angel!

Angel is one of Receptour’s guide in Canada. He has developed a real expertise and knowledge of his job for years. As a travel lover and true globetrotter, Angel shares his passion and guide lifestyle in this interview. 

Let’s go !

Hello Angel, it’s a pleasure to do this interview with you. Can you tell us about your career path?

It’s a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short (laughs).

I was truly born in the tourism industry. My family has always worked in the industry and my father was a hotel manager in Mexico. I think I’ve done all the jobs that are related to tourism. My whole childhood consisted in traveling and going to different hotels. I think that’s what opened my appetite for this industry.

I came to Canada as a Public relations specialist in tourism, but I quickly went back to school. I studied comparative literature, I got the opportunity to explore subjects like art, history, psychology and many others. What I learned in class still helps me in my job as a guide.

Afterwards, I worked as a guide at Saint Joseph’s Oratory. It was a colleague who advised me to become a tour guide because he noticed that visitors particularly liked the tours that I offered them. 15 years ago I applied to be a guide and since then I have been a Toundrigo guide (Receptour, Windigo, Toundra, Think Incentive).

Each tour is unique, but which one would you do again and again?

I love Western Canada. Vancouver, the mountains, the lakes and the national parks are really my favorites. The small plus of this region is the diversity of wildlife that we can see. You can see grizzly bears, black bears, whales, or caribou. Even if all the trips are exceptional, the one I would recommend would be Towards the Inside Passage.

Towards the Inside Passage
13 days / 12 nights stay, from June to September. Departure from Vancouver, arrival in Calgary. 

© Photos taken by Angel Mota

What qualities do you think a guide should have?

(thoughts) I think that a guide must be a good listener, observant and love others. Personally, I try to always think about my clients and put myself in their shoes. If I don’t believe my stories are entertaining, then they won’t either.

I am used to work with a demanding clientele. I often question myself in order to improve my tours, but also to adapt myself to them. The customers consider that 50% of the trip is done by the guide. In consequence, if I do not surpass myself, then the trip will not be as great as it should be.

One of the essential qualities for a guide is to make the clients feel safe and secure. Guiding 50 people can be difficult, especially when they don’t speak the same language. That’s why I try to keep my tours focused and firm, while remaining polite and friendly.

What is your favorite activity ?

I tend to say that it’s not the place that makes the people, but the people that make the place. I firmly believe that each trip is different.
We can repeat the same tour 15 times, and all 15 times will be different. Depending on the travelers we rediscover the places from a new angle, we share other anecdotes.

It’s fun to have to adapt to each customer because it allows me to rediscover places and tours. Guides constantly reinvent themselves, which is a great strength.

© Photo taken by Angel Mota

Any advice for our travelers?

Be open-minded and be ready to receive what Canada has to offer!

From what I’ve been able to get from my different tours, people who enjoyed the trip the most, were the ones who had no prejudice towards the local culture.

Another important thing that I have learned from my different trips as a guide is not to compare your home country with the country you are going to. I can tell you for a fact that there will always be differences and therefore disappointments. Each country is truly unique.

Finally, I would say that you should not expect to find the same products as in your country. The food is not the same and therefore the meals will not be the ones you usually have.

A few words to end this interview?

Canada is an absolutely beautiful country, full of surprises!

People who are attracted to American pop culture, to movie sets, should come to Canada, because this is where many movies are shot. Montreal, Vancouver, and many other cities have been the setting for multiple movies and series such as The Notebook, some scenes from Titanic or more recently the series Suits.

© Photo taken by Angel Mota

📌 To follow Angel Mota on Instagram: @angelmotaberriozabal

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