Best Tourist Guide of Chile – Training, Inspiring, and Celebrating Excellence
By Helga Sturzenegger, WFTGA International Trainer
What a privilege and a joy to recently train 26 passionate tourist guides from FEGUITUR Chile as part of the very first National Competition “Best Tourist Guides and Guides of the Future” 2025. This exciting initiative, organised by the IPLACEX School of Gastronomy and Tourism together with the Federation of Tourist Guides of Chile (FEGUITUR) and supported by SERNATUR (the National Tourism Service of Chile, the government body promoting and regulating tourism), celebrates the professionalism of guides and their vital role in promoting cultural and natural heritage, sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion.
This year, I have the honour of not only delivering one of the specialised training sessions offered to the candidates, but also I will be serving on the expert jury that will choose Chile’s “Best Tourist Guide” in September.
My session was conducted online – which, of course, has its limits.
In an in situ training, a trainer can follow the participant during a real guided visit, directly observing their interaction with visitors, identifying strengths, and pointing out areas for improvement on the spot. That hands-on evaluation is invaluable. However, despite this limitation, the participants’ feedback was incredibly encouraging. Many shared that our session had made them realise the importance of those “small” techniques – often applied unconsciously or learned through self-taught experience – and how becoming aware of them can make a huge difference in the quality of a guided tour.
Naturally, both they and I felt the frustration of not being able to continue learning face-to-face … but their enthusiasm, openness, and curiosity more than made up for it. These moments remind me why I feel so grateful whenever I can share my knowledge and experience … and why I am determined to take part more often in international congresses, as a panellist or by organising practical workshops.
In our session, we worked on universal, timeless guiding techniques – the kind that may seem easy and obvious, yet are essential for delivering quality, ensuring traveller safety, protecting heritage, and making tourism truly accessible. Because a good guide is more than an informer: a good tourist guide is an ambassador – someone who interprets differences, helps others understand and appreciate diversity, and builds bridges across the widest of gaps.
Chile’s competition is a shining example of how to celebrate excellence in guiding – and an inspiration for other countries to organise their own ways of honouring the tourist guide profession. Recognising and supporting professional guides means investing in cultural understanding, sustainable tourism, and unforgettable experiences for all.