WFTGA is pleased to announce a ground-breaking co-operation with a new stakeholder – AR Tours, based in Naples, Italy. 

AR Tours is an established expert in developing digital augmented reality content for historic sites. Eager to extend their reach and enhance their skills training offer, AR Tours reached out to the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) as platform for professional tourist guides and global reference point for high-quality tourist guide training and qualification programmes.

Over the last year, WFTGA training experts conducted a thorough review of AR Tours existing training programme by scrutinising course structure, learning outcomes, practical training methods, and trainer qualifications. By integrating WFTGA training standards alongside the provider’s AR professional skills framework, the course demonstrates a strong commitment to quality and professional excellence and thus was granted WFTGA endorsement – an official expression of support and approval.

This initiative marks an important milestone. Until now, WFTGA endorsements have primarily been granted to courses created directly by WFTGA trainers. This project represents a new collaborative model, bringing together an external AR content developer and training provider and WFTGA-qualified trainers in a joint effort to develop high-level professional training for tourist guides.

This course is not a stand-alone qualification. It represents a high-quality continuous professional development (CPD) opportunity for already certified tourist guides. The AR course provider designed the programme to combine their own professional expertise in Augmented Reality technologies and applications with the WFTGA International Training Standards, ensuring that participants gain both strong practical competencies and skills aligned with global best practices in tourist guiding.

For WFTGA and the guiding community, this collaboration opens new opportunities. It enables certified tourist guides to further strengthen their competencies—particularly in digital skills, emerging technologies, and evolving tourism practices—and to remain active participants in a rapidly changing tourism environment.

We congratulate the course provider for their dedication to quality training and look forward to seeing tourist guides benefit from this innovative programme.

A pilot programme will be rolled out in due course. If you wish to get involved e-mail training-committee@wftga.org

Article by: WFTGA International Trainer Mateja Kregar Gliha