Doha: Qatar Tourism is offering its Tour Guide Training Programme to give practicing tour guides and eligible residents the opportunity to enhance their skills in the tourism sector.
The 14-day course provides comprehensive information about Qatar’s history, environment and culture, and is required to obtain an official tour guide license.
Developed by Qatar Tourism, in collaboration with stakeholders, the programme aims to raise standards and regulate tourism service providers through providing official tour guide licenses to those who complete the required work.
The initiative is part of Qatar Tourism’s efforts to achieve Service Excellence in the sector and provide an unforgettable experience to the visitors, especially as borders reopen and Qatar prepares to host mega sporting events.
Dates of the upcoming training sessions will be announced in the coming months. Interested parties can register through the Qatar Tourism website or in person at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry office in Lusail, Al-Jassra Tower, first floor counter 44. The course will be conducted in English and the exam fee is QAR1,200 while the Tour Guide license fee is QAR1,000.
Berthold Trenkel from Qatar Tourism said: “As the main point of contact for visitors, tour guides need to be able to tell stories, giving visitors information and insights into the country’s history, culture and heritage, that will help deliver an unparalleled experience. As part of our Tourism Sector Strategy, we are working closely with all tourism-facing entities to implement Service Excellence at every touch point of the visitor’s journey. With Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 around the corner, we need more guides to cater to the huge number of visitors who will be arriving in the country.”
The Tour Guide Training Programme uses the Tour Guide Manual that was developed by Qatar Tourism in partnership with stakeholders including Qatar Museums, Msheireb Museums, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Souq Waqif, Qatar Foundation, Qatar TV, and Sheikh Abdulla bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic and Cultural Center (Al Fanar).
While enabling tour guides to deliver insightful information about Qatar’s society and ecosystem, the manual also contains a section on tour group management, highlighting the skills tour guides need to provide an ideal visitor experience.
Since the beginning of the programme in 2017, more than 100 tour guides have been trained, helping position Qatar as an ideal tourism spot.