WFTGA-Conventions around the world - Meeting every second year
Friendly faces, open arms – cordial welcome at 17th WFTGA Convention in Teheran/Iran 2017
350 guests from 40 countries attended the meeting of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) in January 2017 In Tehran (Iran). The organizers of the Iranian Association of Tour Guides (IFTGA) as well as the people of the host country took the international guests very openly and cordially. The German delegates Maren Richter (BVGD) and Reidun Alvestad-Aschenbrenner (Munich Guide Association) were impressed with the hospitality. There were also colleagues from Passau, Chemnitz, Hamburg, Munich, Potsdam and Berlin participating in the Convention.
For the first time in the history of the World Federation, a President of the host country spoke at the opening. Hassan Rohani, who stands for a further opening of the country, said in his speech in the Iranian parliament building: “Travel can avoid terrorism. “Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tourism (UNWTO) addressed the guides as ambassadors of peace: “You can inspire empathy and create connections “.
Main topics of the conference were the Silk Road or Persian carpets. Workshops and discussion rounds were held on didactics, deregulation, education and training. It became clear how similar the problems and challenges for tourist guides around the world are.
At the General Meeting (WFTGA Convention) in Teheran / Iran in January 2017, after many years as President of the WFTGA, Felicitas Wressnig from Austria has resigned from the Executive Board. The new president is Alushca Ritchie from South Africa. The newly elected WFTGA board comes from six different regions of the world: South Africa, Scotland / Europe, USA, Australia, Canada and Iran. In 2019, the Convention and General Meeting will be held in Tiflis / Georgia.
New President´s letter to all WFTGA members (Febr. 2017)
Contact the WFTGA board info@wftga.org
For more information and news visit www.wftga.org
16th World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations Convention – WFTGA-Members meet in Prague in January 2015
Under the motto “Central Europe – the historical crossroads of culture” the Czech Tourist Guide Association in January 2015 invited WGFTA members to attend the annual convention in the “Golden City” Prague / Czech Republic. The delegates reelected Felicitas Wressnig from Vienna / Austria as President for the next two years.
English report on the WFTGA convention 2015 in Prague
The BVGD sent assessor Georg Reichlmayr as representant to the convention. He spoke to 400 participants from 40 countries on the topic “tourist guide training worldwide.” The involvement of German tourist guides in the WFTGA is important, he said, because the cooperation across national borders strengthens their professional self-confidence: “We have to convince the tourist agencies to pay attention to quality and demand and book only qualified tourist guides!”
A relevant and recognized credential for professional tourist guides is the qualification according to the European training standard DIN-EN-15565, Reichlmayr continued. “The BVGD implements this education standard since 2008. It has proven to be very successful and is currently the best standard in the world!”
