Qatar Tourism to boost the sector with an innovative programme
Qatar Tourism offers its Tour Guide Training Programme to help tour guides in the field improve their skills. To become a licenced tour guide in Qatar, one must complete a 14-day course that covers Qatar’s history, environment, and culture from top to bottom.
The initiative, which was developed by Qatar Tourism in partnership with stakeholders, aims to increase standards and regulate tourism service providers by granting official tour guide licences to those who complete the needed tasks.
As the borders reopen and Qatar is preparing to host major sports events like FIFA 2022 and MotoGP, the initiative is part of Qatar’s efforts to develop the tourism industry as well as to give the tourists an outstanding experience.
The course is conducted in English. The dates of the upcoming training sessions will be announced soon. People who are interested in the course can in person at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry office in Lusail, Al-Jassra Tower, first floor counter 44 or through Qatar Tourism’s official website. The tour guide license is QAR1,000 and the exam fee is QAR1,200.
Tourism in Qatar has developed a tour guide manual in partnership with various stakeholders, such as Qatar Museums, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Souq Waqif, Msheireb Museums, Qatar Foundation, Qatar TV and the Sheikh Abdulla bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic and Cultural Center (Al Fanar).
“As the main point of contact for visitors, tour guides need to be able to tell stories, giving visitors information and insights into the country’s history, culture and heritage, that will help deliver an unparalleled experience. As part of our Tourism Sector Strategy, we are working closely with all tourism-facing entities to implement Service Excellence at every touch point of the visitor’s journey. With Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 around the corner, we need more guides to cater to the huge number of visitors who will be arriving in the country.” said Berthold Trenkel from Qatar Tourism.
A portion of the tour guide manual focuses on tour group management, outlining the abilities tour guides require to give an optimal guest experience. To date, more than 100 tour guides have been educated as part of the Qatar Tourism Development Programme, which has helped the country become an excellent tourist destination.
