A minder is the person assigned to guide or
escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who "
minds".
Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are often termed minders, assigned to offer assistance such as acting as a
guide
A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom.
Travel and recreation
Expl ...
or as a
translator
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
, or protection in dangerous areas, or to define areas of permitted travel. Often they are perceived as also attempting to
censor or otherwise control the flow of information to the visitor.
Government appointed minders are used in North Korea.
Minders can also be personal
bodyguard
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
s or protectors, either in an official capacity such as protecting celebrities or
VIP
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples inc ...
s, or in an unofficial capacity as a protector of members of the criminal underworld, as described by the UK television series ''
Minder
A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds".
Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...
.''
A minder can also be a term for anyone who looks after the interests of someone or something, such as a
talent manager
A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-da ...
, a
caretaker
Caretaker may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker''
* '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital
* Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...
, or a person that ensures that a certain official
protocol
Protocol may refer to:
Sociology and politics
* Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states
* Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state
* Etiquette, a code of personal behavior
Science and technolog ...
or plan is adhered to by others, or someone that is designated to look after someone who needs assistance (c.f UK English: Child minder for
nanny
A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
).
[George Crile, In ]
Charlie Wilson's War
', Grove Press 2007, , p259, Google Books
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...
search (partial preview), "It was an outrageous request. entral IntelligenceAgency officers are not permitted to lobby congress for money. They're not even permitted to talk to members of congress without an authorization, and then only when accompanied by a minder", Retrieved on 14 January 2009
See also
*
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of so-called agents (called secret agents or spies in common parlance), principal agents, and agent networks (called "assets") by intelligence officers typically known as case o ...
*
Tourism in Bhutan
Tourism in Bhutan began in 1974, when the Government of Bhutan, in an effort to raise revenue and to promote Bhutanese unique culture and traditions to the outside world, opened its isolated country to foreigners. In 1974 a total of 287 tourists ...
*
Tourism in North Korea
Tourism in North Korea is tightly controlled by the North Korean government. All tourism is organized by one of several state-owned tourism bureaus, including Korea International Travel Company (KITC), Korean International Sports Travel Company (K ...
References
{{Reflist, 2
Protective service occupations