Grounding In Emirati Heritage, Traditions For New Batch Of Tourist Guide Professionals

Sharjah To Introduce Global Tourism Industry Standards

A new batch of the UAE’s tourist guides got a professional leap forward by enrolling themselves for the professional course offered by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in association with the University of Sharjah. This is the third batch of professional tourist guides to undergo the two-week course, being conducted from October 7 to 18, this year and eighth since the course was introduced three years ago.

The professional licensing and training program offered by the Sharjah University faculty and a diverse range of professional experts includes theory classes, practical workshops and field visits to a number of tourist attractions, museums and archaeological sites in Sharjah under the supervision of a diverse range of experts and faculty.

Welcoming the new batch of tourist guides professionals, SCTDA Chairman HE Mohamed Ali Al Noman said the licensing and training program being offered with the help of University of Sharjah was part of the Authority’s efforts to encourage excellence in the tourism industry on par with international standards and norms.

The course does not just arm tourist guides with a professional license and enhance their professional skills and capabilities, it will provide them with the right understanding and knowledge of Sharjah’s and the UAE’s cultural heritage, traditions and sensitivities. They are also updated on the latest trends and developments in the tourism sector. “The program will help sensitize these tourist guide professionals who come from so many diverse international backgrounds to the Arab and Islamic values and sensibilities,” emphasised Al Noman.

This time around, a total number of ten tourist guides representing nationalities as diverse as Egyptian, Bulgarian, Polish and Ukrainian have enrolled themselves for the course. They represent some of the leading travel and tourism agencies and tour operators in the country.

“With the expansion of the global travel and tourism sector in recent years, the role and importance of the profession of tourist guides has grown immensely and is being increasingly recognized as such by the industry,” pointed out Al Noman. “The Authority has been hosting this professional training and licensing program for three years now and indeed twice, thrice each year as part of our strategy to achieve and maintain highest service standards in the tourism sector.”

With the introduction of the course, it is now mandatory for all tourist guides in the emirate to undertake the course in order to obtain the license, said the SCTDA Chairman. Detailed information about the program including dates of registration and application forms in both Arabic and English are available at http://www.sharjahtourism.ae/ar/about-sharjah/about-us/tourist-guide-course

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