ITG Press Release .... .. ... .... .. .. .. ..... ... ..... ..

JOINT PRESS RELEASE 

UK’s Blue Badge wins Europe-wide certification – on the first day after Brexit

The UK’s prestigious tourist guide qualification, the ‘Blue Badge’, was today certified by the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG).
 

Efi Kalampoukidou, FEG ExCo President and accredited tourist guide trainer said: “FEG is hugely committed to high quality tourist guide training programmes offered in Europe. We would like to congratulate the Institute of Tourist Guiding on achieving FEG EN15565:2008 certification and look forward to working with them in the future.

 

“FEG is a proud CEN member and had participated into the CEN EN15565:2008 standardisation working group back in 2005-2008,” she said. 

Marilyn Collis, President of the ITG said: “we’re delighted that our Blue Badge qualification, which has always had so much respect in other European countries, has been certified by such rigorous criteria.

“The Institute of Tourist Guiding has worked closely with FEG for many years, and we will of course continue to be an active member after Brexit’” she added.

Tourist Guide walking tour training, ©FEG

FEG certified that the Blue Badge Training Framework for England, Northern Ireland, & Jersey tourist guides complies with the CEN Standard EN15565:2008, after detailed verification of the course content, duration, qualification of trainers and assessment methods.
 

FEG Training Consultancy Group Convener and accredited trainer, Iris Barry, was the Institute of Tourist Guiding Blue Badge training course scrutinizer and assessor of all the course documents submitted to FEG.
 

The European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) is a pan-European professional non-profit organisation - that among its goals – promotes and offers high quality training for tourist guides. 
 

FEG provides a certification service for area-specific tourist guide training courses. By certifying courses FEG verifies and confirms that tourist guide training courses comply with the CEN standard EN15565:2008 Tourism Services on “Requirements for the provision of professional tourist guide training and qualification programmes”.
 

Tourist Guide museum training, ©FEG

The Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG) in the UK is a professional membership organisation which is committed to developing, maintaining and promoting professional standards in tourist guiding. 
 

The Institute's role includes the following:

• To promote the guiding profession and qualified guides as the expert ambassadors of all the treasures of Britain, indispensable to the Visitor Economy of the United Kingdom
• To accredit UK tourist guide training programmes
• To provide examinations and/or assessments for tourist guide qualifications at all our levels – Blue Badge, Green Badge and White Badge
• To award our Blue, Green and White Badge to successful candidates in our examinations
• To test language proficiency
• To train and accredit examiners, trainers and examination compilers
• To provide career development opportunities within the guiding profession
• To maintain the record of qualified tourist guides in England, Northern Ireland and Jersey
• To replace lost or stolen badges
• To seek, on behalf of the profession, to influence government, tourism bodies and the general public

For more info:
FEG https://ww.feg-touristguides.org
ITG https://www.itg.org.uk/
 

Phones:
Marilyn Collis, President Institute of Tourist Guiding (07850 435303)
Anthony Le Sueur, Operations Manager, Institute of Tourist Guiding (07985 161019)

Emails:
Marilyn Collis - president@itg.org.uk
Anthony Le Sueur - alesueur@itg.org.uk