New challenges

The Czech Tourist Guide Association through the Association of Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism, Chamber of Commerce strongly protested and are protesting against the transfer of the trade “Tourist guide activity in the field of tourism” to the free trades.

Through participation of Czech Tourist Guide Association in the

“Sectoral Council for hospitality, gastronomy and tourism”, it promotes the development of the National Qualifications Framework and the creation of tourism qualifications in line with the Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

of 30 March 2006 on Verification and Recognition of Further Education Results and on the Amendment to Some Other Acts - the Act on the Recognition of Further Education Results [32]. Hence, the Czech Tourist Guide Association initiated creation of the qualification for tourist guides (65-021-N) under the above mentioned Act, which would be, as for the trade “mountain guides” the base for professional competence necessary for re-transfering of the trade “tourist guides activities in the field of tourism “ back into the regulated trades. In addition, the mentioned qualification implements the European standard EN 15565 “Tourism services - requirements for provision of professional tourist guide training and qualifications programmes”[34], and thus the comparability requirements for tourist guides training in Europe are met.

This standard defines in general the professional competence as follows:

Source: Ing. Taťána Vencovská, National Institution of Technical and Voctional Training

<tatana.vencovska@nuv.cz>. Zkoušky NSK k 25.11.2011. private e-mail from 1.2.2012

The training programme shall be designed to enable tourist guides within their area of qualification to:

● represent the area (site, city, region and/or country)

● guide groups or individual visitors around natural and man-made attraction of an area

● research and develop information in order to provide accurate and relevant commentaries

● interpret for visitors the cultural and natural heritage as well as the environment

● help visitors on all the relevant aspects of life in the area

● create and/or develop guided tours in their area

● use the appropriate language.

The training programme shall be designed to enable tourist guides to:

● assess their audience

● adjust to their respective interests and requirements by selecting relevant information

● present the appropriate information in a comprehensive and communicative way

The training programme shall be designed to enable tourist guides to be knowledgeable about:

● the tourism industry and the profile of visitors in their area

● relevant rules and regulations, including health and safety

● taxation and insurance requirements

● marketing and running a tourist guide business

Table 2 Recognition of Further Education Results (Act No. 179/2006 Coll.)

Qualification Number of Number of Number of

Authorized Bodies Passed Exams Failed Exams Mountain guide

(Code: 65-020-M) 1 8 0

Tourist guide

(Code: 65-021-N) 23 40 1

Total 24 48 1

The aim is also fulfillment of the Code of Guiding Practice WFTGA (The World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations) [37]. Adherence to the WFTGA Code of Guiding Practice provides an assurance of the high level of professionalism and a value-added service offered by the individual to their clients. The WFTGA accept on behalf of their members the following principles and aims:

● To provide a professional service to visitors, professional in care and commitment, and professional in providing an objective understanding of the place visited, free from prejudice or propaganda.

● To ensure that as far as possible what is presented as a fact is true, and that a clear distinction is made between this truth and stories, legends, traditions, or opinions.

● To act fairly and reasonably in all dealings with all those who are engaged in the services of guides and with colleagues working in tourism.

● To protect the reputation of tourism in our country by making every endeavour to ensure that guided groups respect the environment, wildlife, sights and monuments, and also local customs and sensitives.

● As the representative of the host country to welcome visitors and act in such a way as to bring credit to the country visited and promote it as a tourist destination.

A separate possibility then was the promotional activity of the Czech Tourist Guide Association in the fields of support of the creation of study programmes in the area of tertiary education. The result for instance was the Bachelor’s study programme “Tourist guiding services in the field of tourism” accredited by the University of Business in Prague. The Study programme takes into account the above-cited European standard EN 15 565, which further elaborates this norm at the level of university education and also takes into account the additional requirements arising from the strategic objectives of the European Union in the field of tourism [39]. These new requirements for qualifications arising from these trends in tourism especially are:

● knowledge of aspects of sustainable tourism development and mechanisms of environmental protection, culturally historical heritage and authenticity of cultural traditions;

● ability to care for entertainment of clients;

● knowledge of the needs and ability to provide services to specific group of visitors (for seniors, clients with special needs, for the single tourists, but also for the affluent clients, for the MICE sector and for clients from Asia, etc.), the ability to provide entertainment programmes, animation, social interaction of visitor, mediate experiences, ability to offer individual services , thematically focused programmes;

● ability to ensure clients’ safety and protection of consumer‘s rights.

The graduates with this specialization will be competent to contribute to the competitiveness of tourism services in the Czech Republic, which will be thanks to their contribution comparable with other EU member states. The basic assumption for fulfillment of the above mentioned requirements is a close partnership with the Czech Tourist Guide Association within the creation and realization of this field of study, including direct participation of their experts in the educational process.

The specific teaching methods are used for the perspective needs of the graduates. Attention is focused on individual and team work during the seminars and workshops, developing of communication skills in foreign languages, gaining attitudes and activities which contribute to self- knowledge for better adaptability in the terms of professional practice, not

only in the national but also in the international environment. The great attention is devoted to cooperation with the Czech Tourist Guide Association within organizing students’ internships for the performance of their future profession. The Bachelor’s degree study plan consists of a group of theoretical basic courses related to scientific and research information, to the group of vocational courses containing the application of knowledge of current practice (the specialists from the industry are also involved in the preparation of a study aids and in giving lectures ) and to the block of additional courses. The vocational courses are in line with the focus on the study and are divided into a group of compulsory courses and additional courses, which form the block of compulsory optional courses.

The study programme is based on lectures and related seminars, practical exercises with the practice in the field, creation and presentation of concrete projects, team work of students within research projects integrated into the study process with emphasis on application of management approaches. For the needs of the industry the applied teaching of foreign languages focused on conversation is also integrated in the study programme. The study programme is completed by a final state exam and defence of a thesis.