WFTGA president awarded the OBE for services to the tourism industry

Source: http://wftga.org

Mrs Rosalind Newlands WFTGA President and a pioneer for professional Tourist Guide Training, proudly collected her OBE from a snowy Buckingham Palace. She was awarded the OBE for services to the tourism industry. A Scottish Tourist Guide (aka Blue Badge Guide) since 1983, Ros, as she is known to over 100,000 professionally trained Tourist Guides worldwide, is an active Scottish Tourist Guide and President of the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations, representing over 65 countries. In addition to her tourist guide activities and her global role, Ros is also Course Director for the 2-year Scottish Tourist Guide Training Course at the University of Edinburgh.

Ros says “Qualified tourist guides are ambassadors for their countries and are often the only people that visitors really talk to and engage with. A Guide can make or break a destination. In the current global economic climate, it is even more important that those who travel receive the best quality products and services. Some unqualified guides work mostly through commissions and tips and do not offer a professional service to visitors.

Members of the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (WFTGA) are all professional qualified tourist guides who adhere to a Code of Practice and Quality Charter. It is a great honour for professional Scottish Tourist Guide training to be recognised in this way.”