Cruise Guide Training: Shetland Islands, Scotland
The World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations is launching its one day
Cruise Guide Training Course in Shetland on 11th June 2008. This will be the
first course to be conducted in Northern Europe by WFTGA Senior Trainer and
qualified Scottish Tourist Guide Viola Lier.
WFTGA has developed this training in co-operation with Progress International at
the request of the Cruise Industry. Cruise travel is the largest growing sector
of the world tourism industry. Cruise calls in Northern Europe increased by 16%
in 2007. Shetland received approximately 50 calls per year.
The Cruise Guiding Course is for qualified Shetland Tourist Guides, members of
the Scottish Tourist Guides Association, and is designed to improve their
awareness of the needs of the cruise industry and of cruise guests. Cruise calls
are the major source of guiding work in Shetland.
The course is being supported by Island Vista – a Shetland based
excursion operator who said:
Island Vista was formed in January 2007 with the aim of providing a quality
visitor experience, organised and co-ordinated by an experienced and
professional local team with many years intimate knowledge of our Island home .
Shetland is a unique place, and if visitors are given a quality excursion will
almost all say that Shetland has been the best place they have visited on their
holiday. This is a quote heard many times. For a number of years we have seen
the need to provide a much improved quality of service for our visitors. To
encourage the big agents to sell excursions not previously offered and allow us
to show off more of Shetlands natural beauty and unique culture. In order to
achieve this we need high quality guides with local knowledge and expertise in
many specialist subjects and languages who are highly trained and enthusiatic
about their heritage and take pleasure in sharing this experience with our
visitors.
So what is the attraction for Shetland Tourist Guides. A qualified
Shetland tourist guide said:
I particularly enjoy interacting with visitors to Shetland and being able to
bring to life a small part of Shetland for them. In meeting guests from all over
the world and achieving a connection with Shetland to the part of the world they
come from is particularly satisfying. It is a wonderful experience to share
Shetland with a large group who have never visited here before and hadnt
previously appreciated what we have in our islands and being able to exceed
their expectations.
WFTGA is the global forum for qualified and licensed tourist guides. Members are
tourist guides associations from 50 countries worldwide.
WFTGA President Rosalind Newlands is also a Scottish Tourist Guide. She said:
I am delighted that the first one day course will take place in Scotland. We
launched the Cruise Guide Training Course in Cyprus in January 2008 and we are
now receiving requests for this training from all over the world. We believe
that it is essential that tourist guides fully understand the special
requirements of cruise guests and are ready to meet and exceed their
expectations.
Contact Details:
Rosalind Newlands
President
World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations
Telephone: +44131477 2204
Mobile: +44 7885 329 538
Email: info@wftga.org
Website: www.wftga.org
