World tourist guides day launched

Blind tourists in Vienna

World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations has declared 21 February for International Tourist Guide Day and global activities

Tourist guides all over the world are getting ready to promote special events to showcase their services. The WFTGA, newly-admitted as an affiliate at UNWTO has organized a day of activities in which their local associations will participate.

The topic of the German ITGD is "Men and Markets". 74 BVGD-member organisations participated in this year’s ITGD and offered various interesting tours according to the motto: Get to Know Germany for Free. 

The guided tours are publicised by means of a uniform poster and a booklet listing all tours. The offers receive extensive coverage in newspapers, radio, and TV channels.

The Vienna Tourist Guide Association prepares tours for sight impaired guests, especially for children. Each year another museum offers arrangements and permits to touch/experience certain exhibits: the Vienna Fine Arts Museum, the Ethnological Collection, The Armour and Weapon Collection in 2013. Additionally lectures and guided tours with an annual theme, this coming February "1918 – 1938" are prepared and some 200 active guides work for app 3000 visitors.

Although free of charge, the Vienna tourist guides collected money to sponsor a copper model of Schönbrunn Palace (UNESCO Heritage Site) to enable sight impaired guests to feel the details of the building; finally this can be realised: the model costs Euro 15000, the Palace Administration will sponsor the positioning at the main gate, work and transport were made by Tyrolian foundry Grassmeier. The installation will be made on Tourist Guide Day with media presence.

The WFTGA recently published their global vision:

• WFTGA declares that its member tourist guides act as ambassadors of their countries and regions and as caretakers of their area’s traditions, history, culture and environment.
• WFTGA supports the definition of tourist guiding as an area-specific qualification, usually issued and /or recognised by the appropriate authority. WFTGA believes that any person without a qualification is not competent to interpret and explain the cultural and natural heritage and specialities of that area.
• WFTGA declares it is not ethical or appropriate for anyone to work as a tourist guide without having the above qualifications.
• WFTGA declares that tourist guides are essential to the tourism industry and should be acknowledged as professionals by tour operators, tourism custodians and local and /or national authorities and be fairly compensated.
• WFTGA and its member tourist guides stand by our declaration that "We are the Professionals,” who work in the best professional manner to achieve high standards of service and contribute to society.

Further information: http://www.wftga.org/

Valere Tjolle

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