Latest WFTGA Training at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia
The latest WFTGA Train the Trainer Course took place in Nicosia Cyprus in November 2013 led by WFTGA Lead International Trainer Viola Lewis
Seasonal Greetings from the Executive Board of WFTGA
To all our members and friends, to qualified Tourist Guides around the world: the Executive Board of WFTGA wishes Peace and Health, Happiness and Prosperity for the Year 2014!
WFTGA Convention 2015: Sponsorship Opportunities
The 16th WFTGA Convention will take place in Prague in January 2015. There are many opportunities for marketing and sponsorship during the Convention. For enquiries please contact Stanislav Voleman, the Convention Coordinator and Host. Click Here For Details of how you can become involved
Union of International Associations Survey 2013 Published
WFTGA is a member of the Union of International Associations for details of their latest survey please check http://www.uia.org/publications/meetings-survey/2013
Area Representatives Appointed for 2013-2015
All the 2013-2015 Area Representative appointments have been completed. Most of our Area Representatives have resumed their duties and are already active in promoting the WFTGA aims and goals. Their contribution and volunteer work is much appreciated by the ExBo and all WFTGA Members. Take a moment to wholeheartly thank them all and wish […]
Cyprus Training Courses 2013:Last Chance to Book
The 2013 WFTGA Train the Trainer (TtT) and the International Train the Trainer (ITtT) courses are scheduled to be held at the WFTGA Cyprus International Training Center, in cooperation with the University of Cyprus. Training Courses will be held between 9-23 November, 2013. More information: Course Promotion Cyprus 2013
2013 Conference Delegates create Macau Declaration
A proposal by Member Association Delegates to the 15th WFTGA International Tourist Guide Conference in Macau resulted in the creation of a document to circulate amongst tourist guides, tourism authorities, and those who hire tourist guides. A Committee of Delegates to the General Assembly drafted the Macau Declaration, which was then agreed by a unanimous […]
WFTGA: Member of UNWTO
The Executive Council of UNWTO agreed at its 90th session in Mombassa, Kenya on 19-21st June 2011 to admit the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations to Affiliate Membership. ” It is with great satisfaction that we welcome the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and all of its employees to the World Tourism Organization. […]
Train the Trainer Course 2012: WFTGA International Training Centre Cyprus
TRAIN THE TRAINER COURSE: WFTGA International Training Centre: Cyprus The latest WFTGA Train the Trainer Course in Cyprus took place from May 20th 2012 – June 2nd 2012. Participants came from Australia, Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,Thailand , United Arab Emirates and Ukraine. Thanks are also due for the generous sponsorship offered by […]
WFTGA President in Central America
Rosalind Newlands (WFTGA President) visited tourist guides in Central America during a cruise on Cunard ship Queen Victoria. She had a meeting with members of the Costa Rica Tourist Guides Association in Puntarenas and then joined a tour with local guide Davide. Puntarenas (Sandy Point) is a centre for Ecotourism which is very advanced – with […]
International Tourist Guide Day 2013
International Tourist Guide Day is being celebrated all over the world. The day is an opportunity for tourist guides to show their local communities what they do. For more information contact info@wftga.org
WFTGA Training 2013
CENTRE OF CONTINUING ASSESSMENT AND EDUCATION at UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS together with UNIVERSITY of CYPRUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH UNIT (ARU) and WFTGA announce TRAIN THE TRAINER COURSE November 11th – 22nd, 2013 Nicosia, Cyprus Perhaps You: Would like to work as a tourist guide trainer? Would like to improve the standards of tourist guiding in […]
4th UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum, Doha Qatar: WFTGA President Official Speaker
WFTGA President Rosalind Newlands was an official speaker at the 4th UNAOC Forum in Doha Qatar on Sunday 11th December 2011. Rosalind was part of the official UNWTO Delegation which led a workshop entitled Tourism & Travel: Celbrating Diversiy, Linking Cultures and Promoting Dialogue Between Civilizations. Rosalind emphasised the importance of Tourist Guides as a […]
WFTGA HOT Course in Serbia
WFTGA International Lead Trainer Mary Kemp Clarke and WFTGA International Trainer Ivana Curuvija are delivering the first WFTGA HOT Course in Novi Sad Serbia.
WFTGA Training 2011
WFTGA worked in partnership with UNWTO and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (An Organisation of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India) to deliver practical tourist guide training for new guides in Amristar Punjab India in May/June 2011 WFTGA Trainers also ran courses in Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Serbia and Tanzania during 2011.
WFTGA Training in Greece
The First WFTGA Train the Trainer course was held in Thessaloniki for members of the PanHellenic Tourist Guides Association in November 2011.
Training in Zanzibar
WFTGA Lead International Trainer Mary Kemp Clarke led a Train the Trainer Course for tourist guides from Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania in October 2011.
Training in Abu Dhabi
Jenny Oulton WFTGA Senior Trainer is conducting a further two Hands On Guiding Workshops in Abu Dhabi in November 2006. WFTGA Vice President Rosalind Newlands was invited by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to advise on the development of a full guide training course for the United Arab Emirates and to be present at the […]
Home › Publications › News › EN 15565 2008 Standard for the Training and Qualification of Tourist Guides…
WFTGA supports EN15565 2008, Training and Qualification of Tourist Guides in Europe and EN 13809 2003 which became ENISO 18513 2003 was adopted by WFTGA the 10th Convention, Dunblane, Scotland 2003 Tourist Guide: A person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural heritage of an area which […]
International Tourist Guide Day February 21st… Every year!!!
ITGD in Abu Dhabi A Must for Local Citizens and Local Tourism and Travel Industry Partners. Get to Know the Professional Tourist Guides and Your Ambassadors to the world! February 21st. an initiative of WFTGA, the International Tourist Guide Day is held on 21st February each year. In 1990, Mrs. Titina Loizides, president of the […]
WFTGA President Visits India
WFTGA President Rosalind Newlands was welcomed to India by P Asoka President of the Tourist Guides Federation of India. Rosalind was interviewed for the Hindu Newspaper while holidaying on board Swan Hellenic’s MV Minerva
The 14th WFTGA Convention, Tallinn Estonia: Culture as a Unifying Guide
Tallinn Guide Association welcomed more than 200 members from 42 countries to the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations Convention in 2011 in Tallinn! The Convention was supported by UNESCO with the keynote speaker M. Herve Barre from UNESCO HQ. Pre and Post Tours took place in South Estonia, Latvia and St Petersburg.
Guides Training Program in Armenia
Guide Training and Partnership Development for Tourism Associations October 26. The continuing successful cooperation between the Competitive Armenian Private Sector Project (CAPS) and the the USAID-funded Human and Institutional Capacity Development project implemented by AED resulted in another jointly-organized project – the Guides Training Program. The seven-day training during the period of October 24-31 for […]
Ruby Roy President of WFTGA addresses tourist guides in Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates of Tourist Guides (UAEFTG) were able through the experience and the knowledge of the WFTGA President to solve some pending issues and get some very good recommendation on how to proceed. On 4th of September they will announce the formation of UAEFTG with the support of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Abu Dhabi […]
Hands On Tourist Guiding in the United Arab Emirates
We are pleased to announce that a group of 16 guides are currently undergoing Hands On Tourist Guiding in the United Arab Emerites with WFTGA Trainer Jenny Oulton assisted by Jasem Zaiton from Dubai who recently took part in our Train the Trainer Course in Cyprus. There are 12 nationalities on the course which is […]
WFTGA Hands On Tourist Guiding Course: Brunei
Iris Barry and Mary Kemp Clarke are conducting the first WFTGA training courses in Brunei, sponsored by Brunei Tourism. Training, during November 2008 will include Hands On Tourist Guiding and Train the Trainer. For more information check the link below http://www.bt.com.bn/en/home_news/2008/11/24/tourist_guides_accredited_internationally
Japanese guides invite people to come to Japan!!
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WFTGA President Rosalind Newlands and EXBO Member Govind Agrawal visit Macau
Rosalind Newlands and Govind Agrawal spent three days in Macau on a fact finding mission. We visited potential hotels and enjoyed fabulous Macanese food and hospitality. The programme will include pre and post tours to Hong Kong and a post tour to mainland China. Full programme and bookings coming soon. For more pictures visit Facebook: […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Vienna
In 1989, at its 3rd Convention the WORLD FEDERATION OF TOURIST GUIDE ASSOCIATIONS decided in Cyprus that the 21st of February shall be instituted as the “INTERNATIONAL TOURIST GUIDE DAY”, commemorating the foundation of its own organization back in 1985 in Israel where the first international convention had taken place. Since 1990 tourist guide colleagues […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Iceland
The Iceland Tourist Guide Association in cooperation with a local tour operator and the Hunting Museum in the south of Iceland invited the blind and sight impaired on an excursion to “see” wild animals from Africa on International Tourist Guide Day 21 February 2006. Forty people accepted the invitation which was a great success. The […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Uganda
Uganda Tourist Guides celebreated the International Tourist Guide Day on Saturday 22nd April, 2006. Two major activities were carried out. Bird watching with young birders, and launching a cultural walk in the city. At the end of the birding activity, the young birder were given a simple asignment of writing the birds they had seen […]
Victor Leal, our colleague from Gautemala and our Area Representative for the Spanish speaking Americas has passed away.
VICTOR LEAL ESTIVEZ Born in Guatemala, he was a free lance tourist guide since 1978. At the end of his regular High School, he began tourism studies at Guatemala private school for Tourist Guides getting a degree in 1977. In 1978 he began studies to become professional tourist guide at the Technical Institute for Capacity […]
CEN Meeting on International Tourist Guide Day in Cyprus
European Standardisation Committee (CEN) Photos in Cyprus Tourist Guides of 10 European countries celebrated the 21st February 2006 in Cyprus by having the meeting of the European Standardisation Committee (CEN) for the standardisation of “Tourist Guide Services”.
International Tourist Guide Day in Rhodos island-Greece
On the occasion of celebrating the International Tourist Guide Day, the tourist guides of the Association of Dodecanese based in Rhodes, presented a new DVD about Rhodes island, in the presence of the head of Prefecture of Dodecanese, Mr. Mahairidis, the mayor of Rhodes, Mr. Giannopoulos and many other officials. The DVD was created by […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Dubai
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) joined the world in celebrating the International Tour Guides Day. The Training Solution department organized a reception at the Nad Al Sheba Club House to recognize and honour the work of experienced and dedicated professional tour guides on the occasion. All tour guides who received special […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Toronto
The Canadian Tour Guide Association of Toronto organized a free tour of downtown Toronto to celebrate International Tourist Guide Day on Tuesday, March 21, 2006.
We lost former WFTGA Secretary: Margrit Klimscha
Margrit Klimscha (May 15, 1927 – July 31, 2005) Margrit Klimscha was a founding member of the Vienna Guide service in 1975. Within the Vienna Chamber of Commerce she fought relentlessly for the professional interests of tourist guides. In 1985 she represented Austria at the first Convention of WFTGA in Israel and put her expertise […]
International Tourist Guide Day in Austria
The tourist guides in Wien offered three different walking tours (Mozart and the musical tradition in Vienna) for to celebrate International Tourist Guide Day. They had 610 visitors. Besides the guides had about 70 blind people for the special program (guided tour in the Furniture Museum). TV, Radio and some newspapers mentioned the guides too.
Serbia on International Tourist Guide Day 2005
We are glad to inform you that our Association (UTVS) has successfully organized and executed the following manifestations in order to mark (for the third time) the International Tourist Guide Day (ITGD 2005): February 18-21 – Exhibition of Photographs – “The Tourist Guide – in front of and behind the camera” 85 selected photographs were […]
Royal Recognition
Wednesday – February 11, 2004 – Tom Hooper, FEG’s ExCo Member is honoured by Queen Elizabeth II, with an MBE (Member of the British Empire). Tom has played a key role through the foundation of tourist guiding institute in the UK. He was working in conjunction as joint President with Fiona Grant and the Palace […]
Draft CEN Standard for the Training and Qualification of Tourist Guides
EN 13809 OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDISATION (CEN) The final meeting of WG5 the European committee working to create the above standard took place in Athens on 26th & 27th April 2007. Tourist Guide experts for the various countries attending included Rosalind Newlands (WFTGA President) and Tom Hooper (FEG Chairman) UK; Efi Kalamboukidou Greece; […]
WFTGA and GREEN GLOBE
The Executive Board and its representatives attend trade fairs, present papers at conferences and conventions, lobby government departments to promote the cause of professional guides, and seek co-operation with other stakeholders in the tourism industry. Recently, WFTGA and GREEN GLOBE 21 have signed a cooperation agreement to affirm the goal of achieving sustainable tourism worldwide. […]
Announces new regulations for using licensed guides
CONSUMER AFFAIRS ANNOUNCES OUT-OF-TOWN TOUR COMPANIES NOW REQUIRED TO USE ONLY LICENSED TOUR GUIDES DCA to List All Licensed Tour Guides Online, Giving Special Recognition to Guides with Exemplary Scores on New Licensing Exam New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Gretchen Dykstra and City Councilman and Consumer Affairs CommitteeChairman Philip Reed, today […]
Tour Escorts to get $14 Million in settlement of overtime and retirement plan claims
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco law firm of Dacey & Sitkin today announced a major class action settlement in excess of $14 million compensating approximately 200 tour escorts for unpaid overtime under federal and California law and approximately 370 tour escorts for not being included in the retirement plans of the defendant Group Voyagers, […]
Yossi Grau’s Grave
Weird and wonderful complaints by tourists – Daily Mail
Turkish Colleagues have launched a new magazine: Crossroads
In order to increase the image of tourist guides we had decided to publish a very prestigious magazine. It is out now. Its name is Crossroads. It is a bilingual magazine (English and Turkish). It consists of 100 pages, high quality material, photos etc. The circulation is 30.000 copies. We mostly deliver it free of […]
UNITED KINGDOM – Institute for Tourist Guiding launched
The Department of Trade and Industry, with the support of the Department of Culture, the English Tourism Council and the Wales Tourist Board has given its final approval for the establishment of the Institute of Tourist Guiding. The establishment of the Institute is considered by many inside and outside the profession to be the most […]
UGANDA – Successful Bird Guide Training
For many years, Uganda has suffered from the lack of recognised trained Bird Guides. This made Uganda an unpopular destination to many who would be interested in Birding. The Uganda Bird Guides Club, together with Nature Uganda and Uganda Breweries Ltd. Has been working on overcoming this long-time problem. It all started in 2001, when […]
New York City Officials taking interests in the quality of tourists guide!
