courses and trainers
Professional Training
The WFTGA has delivered specifically designed courses for tourist guides and trainers of tourist guides across the world since 1996. These courses have been arranged at the request of various agencies including the UN Tourism (previously UNWTO), UNESCO and Ministries related to tourism as well as our member tourist guides associations.
Short courses on professional tourist guide skills and guiding techniques, communication and presentation seminars, and guide trainer courses are facilitated by our National, International and Lead International Trainers. Through a dedicated and qualified Training Team, WFTGA can provide short courses in situ at different localities on request. All our WFTGA Trainers are qualified and experienced tourist guides.
our courses
Training and Support
WFTGA can send trainers to you for bespoke in-house courses anywhere in the world.
Alternatively, individual guides may apply to attend training courses at our WFTGA International Training Centre (ITC) in Cyprus.
Moreover, WFTGA encourages members and partners to host in-person courses in their location. Interested in hosting a WFTGA Training Course – find out more.
Skills Training for Tourist Guides
Train the Trainer
Training continuity and evaluations
Support through Training Division
Training Courses
National Trainers
International Trainers
scholarships
Worldwide Training
The WFTGA’s specialised Training Division has run successful courses in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, the Caribbean, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, St. Eustatius (Dutch Antilles), Serbia, Singapore, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.
A small number of partial scholarships for courses at the WFTGA International Training Centres may be available for applicants from tier 3, 4 and 5 countries in the International Monetary Fund listing.
Courses
In-house, in our training centres or online
Skills training as introduction for new tourist guides and as a refresher for experienced guides, also suited to be integrated into existing tourist guide training programmes.
For active tourist guides who want to train tourist guides in their own area of tourist guide qualification, includes a guiding skills refresher, pre- requisite to become an International WFTGA Trainer.
Progression for trainers who would like to train tourist guides worldwide.
For guides for a specific site, e.g. national park, archaeological site, religious site, geological site, museum, gallery, UNESCO World Heritage Site and others.
During the global pandemic WFTGA piloted blended courses with online learning components. However, the WFTGA training ethos stipulates that a significant part of tourist guide training must be practical and must take place on site through face-to-face, in-person training.
These interactive webinars, training sessions, and discussions last around one hour and are designed to provide valuable insights, practical knowledge, and inspiring ideas for your guiding work.
Period 2024 - 2026
Training Committee
Viola Lewis
Scotland
Sebastian Frankenberger
Austria
Dimitria Papadopoulou
2025 to 2027
Greece
Mateusz Tomaszczyk
Poland
James Saunders
Canada
Ivana Ćuruvija
Serbia
Hussein Dehghan
Iran
more services
We can help you with your courses
Course Accreditation
WFTGA accredits tourist guide training courses in accordance and compliance with the Standard EN 15565:2008 ‘Tourism Services – Requirement for the provision of professional tourist guide training and qualification programmes’. WFTGA has accredited Tourist Guide training courses for Cyprus, Scotland and the Oman Tourism College.
Consulting
- Tourist Guide Training Programmes: Design, Implementation (National and Regional level as well as site-specific),
- Refresher courses for Tourist Guides: Design, Implementation (National and Regional level).
- Contiuous Professional Development Programmes
- Advice on tourist guide licensing and quality control
Cyprus
International Training Centre
The WFTGA International Training Centre regularly offers courses, which are open to individual tourist guides from all over the world.
Partner of UNESCO
Silk Road Heritage Training
Encouraged by renewed interest in the Silk Road – for cultural exchange, trade and tourism – the United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – now UN Tourism – decided to revive the ancient routes as a tourism concept, uniting three continents in a project encompassing over 12.000 km.
