Training and recognition of guides and tour managers in Flanders

1. Training and recognition of guides and tour managers in Flanders Katrien Van Ginderachter Tourist Office for Flanders 1 February 2012

2. Tourist Office for Flanders →Toerisme Vlaanderen

3. Tourist Office for Flanders • civil service implementing the tourism policy and regulations of the Flemish Government • cooperation with the Flemish tourist industry • to stimulate tourism (leisure and business) • to Flanders • in Flanders

4. Main activities • promotion & marketing of Flanders • support & development of tourism • stimulation of quality and innovation • ‘tourism for all – policy’

5. Training and recognition of guides and tour managers

6. Guide versus tour manager • A guide accompanies groups or individual visitors during a visit to monuments, sites, musea, a city or region and/or nature. He gives them information on the cultural, social, historic, artistic and natural heritage in a comprehensible, inspiring and entertaining manner, in the language of their choice. (SERV, April 2002) • A tour manager is a person who manages and supervises the itinerary on behalf of the tour operator, ensuring the programme is carried out as described in the tour operator’s literature. He is responsible for the practical organisation during the trip, tries to solve problems which occur during the trip and provides historical, geographical, cultural and socio-economic information on the destination in the language of the customer. (SERV, June 2002)

7. Key issues • Different training institutes: institutions for adult education, socio-cultural organisations (approx. 15 training centres) • Guiding is not a regulated profession • Social and fiscal position of guides is unfavourable

8. Training programme since 2008 • A modularised training programme for tour managers and tourist guides • Curriculum is based on a mixture of knowledge, communication skills and the ability to adapt to the client • Training institutes who guarantee a degree of quality are officially ‘recognised’ by the Tourist Office for Flanders • Tour managers and guides receive a recognition/quality label handed out by the Tourist Office for Flanders

9. Training programme Flanders Specific Guiding skills 40 Preparatory module 40 Destination guide 80 Guide General and political history 40 Project guide 80 Degree Secundary education Arts and cultural history 40 Specific tour manager skills 40 Geography 40 Destination tour manager 80 Guiding techniques 80 Tour manager Project tour manager 80

10. Language programme • Specific language training programme for tourist guides and tour managers • 120 hours • Common European Framework of References for Languages – level 3 • Manuals in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian – available for download via the website of the Tourist Office for Flanders www.toerismevlaanderen.be/gidsen&reisleiders • Learning by training or through self-study

11. Recognition criteria for guides and tour managers Professionalism Engagement to live up to the code of conduct Permanent activity At least 5 guided tours a or 6 travel days a year Customer satisfaction Positive recommendation of employer and/or customers Relevant further training At least 12 hours a year, relevant for guides and tour managers For tour managers: a license in first aid

12. Key questions • Recognition on an individual base or as organisation? • Current training programme in relation to EQF? • Level 5 – at least 90 study points? • Relevance of Innoguide!