All aboard the new photocard for qualified tourist guides

This innovative photocard bolsters security, with an up-to-date passport-style photo of the qualified guide, a photocard validation expiry date, a guide's guiding qualifications and the languages and regions they are qualified to guide in. Contactless technology is available in the form of a QR code, enabling the general public, the heritage and travel sectors to further check a guide's credentials on the Institute's Register of Guides. This will streamline the travel and heritage sector's ability to check specific qualifications of Institute-accredited guides and to ensure they have the right guide for the region, town, or site to be visited and for clients’ specific needs e.g. a guide with particular language skills or a guide qualified for coach guiding.

Commenting on this initiative Jackie Clare, Institute Co-President said, 'We are grateful to VisitEngland, for supporting this important initiative. This photocard provides a visual symbol of the professionalism of qualified tourist guides and reassures visitors, the tourism and heritage sectors and local communities that they are dealing with a qualified tourist guide, building trust and confidence in the visitor experience. All guides have a mandatory duty to abide by our Codes of Conduct which place customer care at the centre of the visitor experience.”

She added “ To give visitors the richest experience requires, knowledge, training and skill. Our heritage needs not just physical preservation but also through what people hear. With the Blue, Green and White Badge qualifications we can ensure that our visitors are with expert ambassadors for our nation's heritage and contemporary story."
Lady Victoria Borwick said, "“Tourist guides are an extremely important part of our tourism offer, contributing hugely to the experience that visitors have and often pivotal in people’s overall enjoyment of their trip and in their decision to revisit a destination in the future. Tourist guides’ expertise, enthusiasm and local knowledge is also really important for visitors to get ‘under the skin’ of a place and often to boosting visits to other local businesses and attractions, supporting the visitor economy."