THIRTY-SIX tourism officials are now recognised by the World Federation of Tour Guide Association (WFTGA) as trained tourism professionals after undergoing a two-week course to improve their skills.
Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, director of Tourism Development Department spoke on the importance of keeping frontliners in the best condition in terms of skills and training.
He expressed his gratitude to all the local tour guides for working together as one team and promoting one product, which is Brunei Darussalam.
Sheikh Jamaluddin also urged the qualified tour guides to share what they have learned to their colleagues.
Organised by a collaboration between the WFTGA and Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR), the course was aimed to improve the skills and techniques of the guides by learning from experienced practitioners.
It is hoped that the guides would be able to take the next step towards future implementation of a compulsory licensing system needed to regulate the profession as well as the quality of the guides who must take care of visitors in a professional, competent and regulated manner.
Some of the training exercises performed during the course involved demonstrating skills and knowledge in a bus tour around the capital, walking tour of downtown Bandar and museum tour at the Brunei Museum with each exercise ending with a written and practical assessment.
The short but intensive hands-on training course was led by two highly qualified trainers sent by the WFTGA, Mary Kemp Clarke, assistant course director for the Blue Badge Tourist Guide Training Course at University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom and Maricar Donato, a certified master guide for the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington DC, United States.
This is the third time Brunei Tourism Board has organised such a training for the tour agencies, Forestry Department and museums.
Hjh Suriyah Hj Umar, MIPR permanent secretary and Sheikh Jamaluddin presented tour guide badges and certificates to the participants.
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