Ras Al Khaimah, UAE – Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) as part of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah’s vision to encourage local talent and business opportunities and development through tourism, is set to launch a training programme on November 25, 2012, for local Emirati and Arab residents of Ras Al Khaimah that will result in the participants becoming licensed as official Ras Al Khaimah tour guides. The programme is part of an initiative to both educate and improve the awareness and knowledge of the emirate’s historical and tourism attractions.
The Tour Guides Training programme is part of the Training Solutions, that TDA has established in June 2012 as a centre of excellence, providing exclusive training solutions for the tourism sector to ensure that Ras Al Khaimah tourism industry continues its premium development with world-class people involved at all levels.
This training programme to licence tour guides for Ras Al Khaimah is a first for the emirate and will see successful candidates become certified travel and tourism guides for Ras Al Khaimah, resulting in the creation of professional opportunities and the development of local talent to sell and further promote the destination to visitors.
The programme is open to local Emirati and Arab residents of Ras Al Khaimah with joint Arabic and English proficiency, who are interested in enhancing their skills and tourism industry knowledge, being employees of tour operators and destination management companies, part-time exhibition and conference staff, and further personnel dealing with visitors.
This programme provides students over a 10-day course with a carefully designed syllabus covering various topics required to create successful tour guides, including general information on Ras Al Khaimah; organization and control of groups including planning, anticipating problems as well as dealing with emergencies; presentation skills, customer service tour guiding and first-aid.
The first intake of for the Ras Al Khaimah First Tour Guides Training Programme will be offered at no cost to a maximum of 20 candidates, to take part in the ten days of formal training, where they will be evaluated by course participation and teamwork, written examination, on the ground presentations as well as research presentation in class. Successful completion of the course with a minimum score of 66% will result in formal accreditation and the receipt of an official tour guide license from Ras Al Khaimah TDA, a completion certificate from the Business and Technology Agency Council (BTEC) in the UK, and completion certificate from Ras Al Khaimah TDA attested by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
Ras Al Khaimah TDA will offer graduates of the course follow up training and updating sessions on a regular basis in order to ensure all accredited tour guides are well prepared with the most up to date information and guidelines at all times. The holders of the Ras Al Khaimah First Tour Guides Training Programme will be recognised by all Ras Al Khaimah tourism entities including hotels, tour operators and attractions as Ras Al Khaimah tour guide specialists, where Ras Al Khaimah TDA will work closely with the qualified graduates on numerous projects in the future.
Says Victor Louis, Chief Operating Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority: “The launch of this great initiative will play an important strategic role in the authority’s advancement of employment and self-development opportunities for the Emirati and Arab residents of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as support the emirate’s hospitality and tourism sectors. The Ras Al Khaimah First Official Tour Guides Training Programme will cover all necessary aspects of the emirate and provide an in-depth insight into all districts, and local culture, giving a more professional and well serviced experience to Ras Al Khaimah’s visitors.”
In addition to being organised and implemented by the Ras Al Khaimah TDA, the programme will also be supported by various government entities including the RAK Civil Defence and Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, as well as all Ras Al Khaimah hotels and resorts, tour operators and locally based attractions.
