For many first-time tourists venturing into one or more countries of the Greater Caribbean, a guide may be quite necessary to assist in the navigation of the region’s numerous attractions, or the country in general. The maintenance of a high level of service offered by tourist guides in the region, as well as constant improvement of said services is crucial to the growth and enhancement of tourism in the Greater Caribbean. A number of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Member States are yet to embrace the idea of adequate training for its tour guides and fails to acknowledge the importance of the standardisation of its tourist guide services.
The Directorate of Sustainable Tourism of the ACS recognises the importance of the tour guide sector to the tourism industry and seeks to harness the model applied in the recent establishment of the Regional Network of Artisans to form a regional alliance of Tour Guides with the aim of standardising the tour guide service offered, as well as elevating its general quality. The alliance would work along with national associations dedicated to training and certification of tour guide services in order to enhance existing tour guide services within the region as well to develop services where there are gaps yet to be filled in this regard.
It is crucial that the necessary improvements made to the tour guide services in the region adhere to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism outlined by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The aforementioned code, comprising 10 principles that speak to environmental, social, cultural and economic areas within the context of a responsible and sustainable execution of tourism activities.
Among the examples of existing efforts made in the way of adequate tour guide training in the region is the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Industry Certification (TTTIC), which, under the Tourism Development Company (TDC) holds instructional sessions for tour guides as well as tour operators. Yet another is the group Cuban Adventures, dedicated to the training and qualification of Cuban tourist guides.
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