Thirty tour guides under their umbrella body-Rwanda Drivers and Safari Guides Association, yesterday, sat for the bronze tour guide examinations, the first to be held in the country. The bronze examination is the first in a series of internationally recognised tour guide certification. The examination follows a series of training programmes conducted to enable tour guides to effectively carry out their duties. The qualifications include the basic level known as bronze, followed by silver, platinum and gold, which is the highest. “Tour guides will soon be categorised and by having them sit for these examinations we shall identify who suits which category,” Edwin Sabuhoro, the Chairman of the Tourism Chamber at the Private Sector Federation (PSF) said.He pointed out that more training programmes would be conducted targeting about 100 tour guides who are expected to sit for bronze examinations before year end.“We shall make sure that academic qualifications of these tour guides reflect their salaries in their respective companies”. According to him, tour companies will be limited to employing qualified tour guides, underlining that akin to any other professions, qualifications determine one’s chances for employment.“We are moving away from driver tour guides to professionalising the industry so that we can rhyme with our counterparts in the region,” he explained.He said based on the expected role of tour guides in the industry, they must have the required skills to serve effectively.The Head of Tourism and Conservation at Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rica Rwigamba, observed that the initiative is also in line with the promotion of customer care.“Tour guides who will be working with top ranked hotels must also have the right skills that rhyme with industry standards.”
