Goa govt frames scheme to train 1,000 tourist guides in 2 years

PANAJI: With the aim to have 1,000 certified tourist guides in the state within the next two years, the state government has framed a scheme to offer tourist guide certification programmes to Goan youth to provide better services to the tourists.
A senior officer said that tour guides are among the most influential frontline players in the tourism industry, their knowledge and interpretation of a destination’s tourist attractions plays an important role in creating a brand image of a state.
The senior officer said that currently, there are a limited number of tourist guides in the state. Hence, training the local youth will help increase the number of tourist guides in the state and also provide better service to the tourists. It will also build the entrepreneurial capacity of local youth and widen their opportunities in the tourism sector, the officer said.
The tourism department has adopted the Union tourism ministry’s ‘Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) (basic) certification programme’. The programme is divided into various modules. The first six modules aim to equip the candidate with basic knowledge and skills required by a tourist facilitator such as basics about society and nature of India, basics of tourism industry and its terminologies, building rapport and communication. The last module is related to tourist destinations and experiences of different states of India.
“The tourism department has also developed an advanced tourist guide curriculum. The aim of the advanced tourist guide curriculum is to train the participants in Goan history, heritage, culture, tourist destinations, soft skills and etiquettes and enhance their employability within a short span of time,” the senior officer said.
The fee of the IITF (basic) programme will be reimbursed to the candidate and the cost of the advanced tourist guide curriculum will be sponsored by the state tourism department.
“On completion of the advanced tourist guide certification course, the tourism department will award tourist guide certificate to the candidate. After completion of the tourist guide certification scheme (basic and advanced tourist guide modules), the participant can apply for registration under the department of tourism,” the scheme said.