tour guide lecturer

• Behind the scenes of the profession of guide-lecturer in 5 steps
• Things to do
• Guided Tours

The guides-lecturers of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture are the ambassadors of the territories and tourist sites of our country. They are the only professionals authorized to conduct visits to historic centers, listed sites, monuments and museums. All are university graduates (professional guide-lecturer license or equivalent). Here are their five key skills to make you spend unforgettable moments

Step 1: Manage your time as efficiently as possible

Your guide does his homework in advance. Equipped with social intelligence, he identifies your needs in order to provide you with a memorable cultural experience. He knows his tricks perfectly, both from the point of view of scientific content and logistics. He masters his tour itineraries and, when these include the entrance to a monument or museum, he takes care of the purchase of tickets. This means that he takes care of you and respects you and your time. He knows that you probably have connections to make (plane, train, cruise ship) or other schedule constraints after your visit.

Step 2: Proximity and distance, the right balance

Throughout the tour, your guide keeps it alive. He is like a member of your group and holds his place, neither too distant nor too familiar. He shows great social ease and has undeniable communication skills. He makes sure to make your time enjoyable. Your guide also knows how to make you laugh. It’s a rare skill that can’t be learned just by making good jokes, but also by being the expert on the sites he shows you. Therein lies the magic of this profession, knowing how to show seriousness, without being boring, knowing how to be light, while maintaining the rigor that befits the scientific and factual discourse delivered.

Step 3: Simplicity, precision and intelligibility

During your visit to a city or the countryside, you will learn a lot about the destination, its history and its specialties. Your guide is perfectly trained to share his knowledge.

His visits are the result of several weeks of reading and documentary research. The aim of this preparatory work is to make the places he presents to you intelligible. Our professional guides have worked on this intelligibility for years and maintain it throughout their careers, through continuing education and personal readings. You will be able to understand that they are experts, unlike the improvised and self-proclaimed guides who exercise this profession without a professional card and without recognized university training.

Step 4: Trust and humility

Your guide is an expert in the places he shows you around, whether they are towns, villages, monuments and museums. Expertise does not mean omniscience. Also, your tour guide will be able to do personal research on a question that you addressed to him and to which he could not have answered you immediately. Usually, the tour guide will contact you after the visit by e-mail or by telephone so as to provide you with the answer to the question addressed. Humility is at the heart of the professional conscience of the tour guide. He works his questions, deepens his subjects, updates his knowledge and when he does not know, he says it; then does the adequate research to provide you with the expected answer.

Step 5: Storytelling and adapting to diverse audiences

Eye contact is essential in order to share a story with confidence. Your guide knows, too, how important body language is. During his presentations, he will not hesitate to vary the media which are the result of several hours of documentary research: engraving, paintings, numismatics, tables, old photos in black and white or in color, video extracts on tablet. The guide knows how to bring his stories to life by illustrating them. He has been able to keep up to date: he masters digital tools and knows how to adapt to different audiences, both seniors and young people, children and adolescents. Some guides master sign language and can address audiences with various disabilities. You would have understood it. The guides-lecturers combine various skills. Call on them for your guided tours!

• TO & Travel Agents

6 best steps to becoming a professional tour guide

Posted on Jun 18, 2022 at 04:06 PM

Suppose you are looking to be a professional tour guide. In that case, you will spend most of your time interacting with different people and tourists from all over the world to learn about the best areas and attractions differently.

A tour guide career requires to be social with people, love this work and enjoy its details, and be loving to learn about the cultures and features of the country you live in, to show it to tourists wonderfully and differently, even if you have no experience, you do not need previous experience to be a professional tour guide.

When you travel and meet a professional tour guide, this guide will take you on a tour through which you are thoroughly familiar with the city's interior and landmarks and tell you about its details and cultures that you cannot know without the guide. Being a tourist in a country, you always need guidance from inner-city professionals during your tourist visit.

Suppose you want to be a professional tour guide offering many tourist services for various tours and tours. In that case, you should follow the steps to help you become a certified destination management executive in your field.

Who is A tour guide?

The tour guide is generally responsible for developing and implementing most tourism programs. His duties vary according to the mission and may include conducting walking tours, providing historical facts or cultural information, comments on the sites visited, and answering tourists' questions.

Tour guides can also be summoned by travel agencies , museums, galleries and other institutions due to their high culture, ability to attract tourists and perception of an unparalleled tourist experience.

It is worth noting that the function of a tour guide is challenging because it is expected that tour guides will have extensive knowledge of the subject they offer and the ability to communicate effectively with others so that the guide can stand out.

6 best tips to become a professional tour guide:

1- Possess the necessary skills

To be a company's professional tour guide, you must work on your voice, facial expressions, gestures, body language and how to communicate effectively with strangers, interact with and tell them various stories comfortably, and master the language required to communicate with them. 

You should also have a guide or enough information to show tourists and not be reluctant to learn new information, cultures, and places constantly. It is not right to keep telling the same stories to tourists without paying attention to whether there is more fun and profound news and constantly getting to know strangers.

2- Be flexible

You should also be a person close to the heart and loved by tourists and foreigners, knowledgeable about how to deal with all different people, human varieties and nature and not mind attending some courses that deal with strangers to develop your communication skills. You will come across all kinds of characters and psychologists.

Suppose you happen to meet with a nervous person or grandfather. In that case, you must have the tools and methods to deal with this personality, interact with it positively, lovingly and generously, and offer her kindness and positive things.

But don't worry too much about these characters, because most tourists have a great mood. They're ready for fun, adventure and thrill times. This will be the most special day for them, so as a professional tour guide you have to help them and make it a historic day for all the tourists you'll meet.

3- Organise your time accurately

You cannot become a good tour guide if you are not a balanced and accurate personality on your dates and organise them properly. When you date tourists at some point, visitors need to be present at this time to do the coordinated tour.

Even if 10 minutes, your delay is a bad sign and will leave visitors with a negative impression that the times are not being correctly regulated and may spoil many of the plans they have organised in advance based on the timing. If visitors are delayed from visiting time or entering the city, you need to be patient in the meantime.

Tourists are always busy, of course, and time is not theirs because travellers often have some problems that they may have to delay for some time, and they have been mainly organised and positive during these events.

4- Be a good leader

You must have a strong personality, step up to visitors, introduce yourself to them, be a professional Dale, and get to know yourself well and kindly. It's okay with some light humour and mood-enhancing words to create some kind of positive attitude energy between you and them.

But of course, you may face some negative people on the same journey, where you will have to act positively and carefully with these people and manage the flight well, it is up to the guide whether he wants a safe and happy journey or will create problems.

Be a robust and rigorous leader, so you don't let bad people ruin the journey, control other people, or offer them any abuse or inconvenience. If that happens and you don't behave properly, that's a wrong signal for you at the professional level for guides.

Nor do you allow anyone to talk to you about your personal affairs or impose undesirable work on you or visitors. Make it a beautiful, safe and enjoyable journey within the working framework, without something else personal to spoil a tourist's journey, mood or program.

5- Select the tourism area you want to operate in

There are many areas where you can work as a tour guide, from which you can choose to suit your ambitions, agenda or usual way of life.

You can be a tour guide member by accompanying guides or work on a tourist bus as a guide-driver, telling them general stories of what they see around them via a connected microphone on the bus.

You can work as a lecturer in a museum, and here you need to know the history of the museums you work with, the old stories about them, tell them to all tourists in detail, and be prepared for any question.

There are also professional tour guides in forests, deserts, large parks or paddling places; These jobs will be very convenient for adventure fans and guide tourists there.

6- Get professional tour guide training

It is preferable to have a university degree in tourism and travel. It is essential to have an excellent and reliable English course and training courses to refine general skills in this field. For example, you can attend hospitality training courses in Dubai to learn about the essential steps to becoming a professional tour guide, interacting etiquette, hospitality, and dealing with visitors.

In conclusion, 

The career of a professional tour guide is a prestigious and essential profession in all countries. It is worth noting that this profession requires you, along with your academic studies, to be a fan of this job and a lover of landmarks and history, passionate about learning more about cultures and tourist attractions .

You also need to be social and excited, not mind identifying new people, interacting with them in the right and effective ways, and giving them a full explanation of all the details. Their tour guide is a positive and welcoming card issued.

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I thought I knew Jerusalem, and then I... - Nissim Slama - Guide et Conferencier - Tour Guide & Lecturer

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I thought I knew Jerusalem, and then I took a tour with Nissim.

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable with great story telling. I visited Jerusalem numerous time before, but never before understood its geography and history like I do after a delightful tour with Nissim.

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Tour Guide Job Description

Tour guides familiarize people with the history, functions, and customs of a particular region or establishment. Though customers typically include foreigners on vacation, virtually any person can attend a tour.

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Tour Guide Job Description Template

We are searching for a vibrant tour guide to join our established company. The tour guide's responsibilities include planning travel itineraries, familiarizing customers with the locality by vehicle or foot, and ensuring that the group remains safe at all times. You should also stay up-to-date with new attractions that may be of interest to customers.

To ensure success as a tour guide, you should be an excellent storyteller with a knack for customer service. An outstanding tour guide will perform minor alterations to each itinerary to suit the unique interests of each group.

Tour Guide Responsibilities:

• Greeting and welcoming customers to the tour.
• Informing customers about the itinerary for each tour.
• Planning itineraries in accordance with weather forecasts and the length of each tour.
• Scheduling visits and purchasing tickets to museums, galleries, protected parks, and other attractions ahead of time, if required.
• Planning alternate activities in the event that cancellations, closures, or weather prohibit you from attending scheduled events.
• Gathering and maintaining the requisite equipment for each tour.
• Familiarizing yourself with the layout and history of the region or establishment in which you will be working.
• Familiarizing customers with each region or establishment.
• Encouraging guests to apply sunscreen regularly and to remain hydrated, if applicable.
• Directing customers to other, noncompeting services that might be of interest to them.

Tour Guide Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Prior experience as a tour guide is advantageous.
• Capacity to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Adherence to prescribed safety codes.
• Excellent conversational skills with a knack for storytelling.
• Personable, humorous disposition.
• Outstanding organizational, time management, and improvisational skills.
• Passionate about traveling.
• Ability to work during evenings and on weekends.

Related Articles:

Travel agent job description, reservation agent job description, tour guide interview questions, travel agent interview questions, reservation agent interview questions, tour guide job boards, how to hire a foreign employee.

Anne Anderson

Art Historian, Lecturer, Tour Guide and Exhibition Curator

Dr Anne Anderson FSA

Hon. Professor Exeter University

With a first degree in archaeology and a PhD in English, Anne was a senior lecturer in Art and Design History at Southampton Solent University for 14 years. She taught on the Fine Arts Valuation degree programs. During 2009-2010, Anne worked on Closer to Home the reopening exhibition at Leighton House Museum, Kensington. She has curated four national exhibitions, including Ancient Landscapes, Pastoral Visions: Samuel Palmer to the Ruralists (2008), The Truth About Faeries (2009-11), Under the Greenwood: Picturing the British Tree (2013) and Beyond the Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy (2019-20). Her book on The Perseus Series was updated to accompany the Edward Burne-Jones exhibition (2018, Tate Britain).

She has published in leading commercial and academic journals, including The Antique Dealer and Collector ; Journal of Design History ; Interiors Design/Architecture/Culture ; Journal of William Morris Studies, The Wildean, A Journal of Oscar Wilde Studies , and  Women’s History Review.

She has held several prestigious fellowships including Fellow of the Huntington Library, CA (2008-09 and 2018-19) and Fellow of the Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Library and Museum (2009/10). Currently a tutor for the V&A Learning Department, Anne specialises in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement.  She has also contributed to Christie’s educational program. Her career as an international speaker has taken her all over the world, including Jersey, Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.  She undertook her fourth lecture tour of Australia, for ADFAS, in 2018.

I have been an Arts Society Lecturer since 1994. I have also lectured for the Art Fund and the National Trust. I have an extensive list of lecture titles. Please browse through a selection of my most popular lecture topics. All my lectures are lavishly illustrated. See my contact information below and get in touch.

Hire Me as a Tour Guide

As well as my scheduled tours for Travel Editions, I am happy to organise and guide private tours. I can assist with the content of both European and UK tours. I also have a range of London walking tours which may interest you, that last around two hours. Discover literary Chelsea or artistic Kensington.

I am constantly planning new lectures as well as UK and European tours. I stay current by responding to national and international exhibitions. Stay in touch to see what new tours and lectures are offered.

My favourite task is curating exhibitions. The process allows me to be my most creative. Putting together an exhibition requires much more than simply hanging some paintings on a wall. You need to have something to say, a story to tell. However, securing the loans and raising the funds can be a challenge

Beyond the Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy takes Pre-Raphaelitism from the original Brothers, Holman Hunt, Millias and Rossetti, into the 21st century through the art of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones . It combines the collections of Southampton City Art Gallery and the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth. Paintings have also been loaned by major London institutions-Tate Britain, the Royal Academy and the V&A.

My career as an exhibition curator began with a modest show for Southampton City Art Gallery in 1998. Women in White celebrated the return of Burne-Jones’ Perseus Series from the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York. All ten paintings had been loaned to celebrate the centenary of artist’s death. Accompanying the paintings to New York and attending the Private View was certainly one of the high points of my career.

Past Collaborations with:

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Tour Guides work in the travel industry, giving guided tours to individuals or groups of tourists. They have expert knowledge regarding the history of locations and offer travellers interesting and insightful information about a destination, historic or cultural attractions and any other travel sites. Guides may give a variety of tours, from walking tours to bus tours. Often hired by travel companies, Tour Guides are usually residents of the area in which they work.

When picking a Tour Guide, tourists are generally cautious to pick someone who is accredited or recognized. This way, they know that they are in safe hands and that they would make the most of the experience. Local Tour Guides in Sri Lanka not only speak the native language and English, but generally also speak a foreign language like German or French. This helps them narrow the type of guests they cater to.

Very often tourists would pick a guide professionally trained and authorised by Sri Lanka Tourism, and categorized as National Tourist Guides or Chauffeur Tourist Guides. These are referred to as licenced Guides.

Pursuing a career as a Tour Guide

Find out what formal training and professional qualifications are required to pursue a career as a Tour Guide.

There are no entry, supervisory or executive grades in this category. Instead, the differentiation is based on experience.

National Tour Guides : Cater to large groups of tourists travelling in luxury coaches driven by pre-reserved or hand-picked drivers. These guides are experienced or seasoned enough to take any number of people to any location in the country.

Chauffeur Guides : Would often be guiding small groups conveyed in small vans and luxury cars. These groups can range  between one and seven people. The guiding is done by the Chauffeur/Guides, who drive their own vehicle.

Excursion Guides : A National Tour Guide or Chauffeur Tour Guide is authorised to take groups on excursions in the country and are allowed to guide in the main tourist sites.

Career Progression

Career progression in this trade is optional and not one that many are eager to pursue, simply because those who get into this trade do so by choice. Most Tour Guides are content with what they do. Some even have multiple jobs to sustain themselves as Sri Lanka has peak seasons for tourism.

Knowledge & Skills

Like many other fields in the tourism trade, you need to have completed your Ordinary Level examination to embark on this career. If not, you can do a foundation course that would make up for it.

Even if you have completed school and your Ordinary Level exams, you still need to be registered or licensed in order to function as a guide. You are required to complete a training program in order to register or be licensed as a Tour Guide.

Sri Lanka Tour Guides are trained, certified and licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). This is the sole authority in Sri Lanka for tour guides. Guides trained for touring throughout the country are called National Tour Guides and those who are trained in specific spaces or places are referred to as on-site-guide.

SLTDA awards licences to participants, following a full-time intensive training course in geography, history, archaeology, culture, nature, wildlife and Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The program runs for four months and is followed by an examination.

There are two nationally recognized courses in Sri Lanka for Tour guides, which you will also find in the courses section of this website.

• National Tourist Guide Lecturer (NTGL) – Duration: 4 Months
• Chauffeur Tourist Guide Lecturer (CTGL) – Duration: 3 1/2 Months

A Tour Guide’s skills are divided into two categories:

Interpersonal Skills

• Multilingual
• Effective communication
• Excellent narration skills
• Great organisational and leadership skills
• Problem-solving skills
• A sense of humour
• Professional conduct

Technical Skills

• Proper planning
• Be able to tackle difficult or angry guests
• Use storytelling to convey the message
• Punctuality
• Be able to start and finish a tour on time
• Anticipate guest needs
• Create memorable experiences
• Tailor make tours
• Be able to handle basic video recording equipment
• Knowledge of basic mechanics, if you are driving a vehicle

Hiring Process

Once you have completed your certifications, you can either opt to work for a hotel, a tour agent, a resort or any other establishment within the tourism and hospitality sector that has an influx of foreign guests. This can even be casinos, tourist resorts that are not located in urban areas, tour companies, rent-a-car companies, airports, etc.

You will need to dress the part when facing an interview, ensure you are well groomed and that your clothing is neat and tidy. You will need to tell the hiring manager why this job interests you.

Salary Scale

The average salary would range from Rs.25,000 to Rs.30,00 per month if you are working for a company. You may also get something called ‘bata’ which is a coverage expense to cover your food and miscellaneous costs while on tour. The rate of coverage offered varies from one establishment to another.

In addition to the monthly salary, Tour Guides in Sri Lanka often get good ‘tips’. You can get tips ranging from Rs.1,000 to Rs.1,500 a day. If you have done impressively well, you may even be paid in foreign currency, depending on the generosity of the tourists you have toured with.

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Evolution of sri lankan music by nadeeka guruge..

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World Tourism Day 2023.

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The Traveller Magazine Volume 02 Dear Members, We thank you all for the support rendered to make the publication of the first edition of TRAVELLER a big success. Professional Guides are also experts in various fields and travel widely. We invite all members to contribute their own articles and photographs (JPG) to the forthcoming edition to be released in June 2023. The selected content , we kindly request, is to be travel related, well researched and non-political. Please contact Janaka 0770713192 . email- [email protected]

Chief Editor

SLTDA License Renewal for NTGLs

Your NTGL license can now be renewed online for the year 2023. Please click here for more details.

Activities.

The Evolution of the Sri Lankan Music by Nadeeka Guruge

The lecture by Mr Nadeeka Guruge on Evolution of Sri Lankan Music was held on 15th November at the SLINTGL auditorium. please click for more details.

Lecture by Prof. Raj Somadewa (part 2)

The part 2 of the lecture titled “Foreign influences in the Art and Architecture of the Cultural Triangle” by Prof Raj Somadewa was held on 25th of July 2023 at the auditorium of SLINTGL.  Click here for more details.

RUSSO Cricket Cup ll – 2023.

On Saturday, June 17, 2023, the annual Russo Cup ll cricket tournament was grandiosely completed at the Gatambe stadium Kandy. the tournament was organized by the Russian wing of SLINTGL, The Russian Speaking Tourist Guide Association. click here for more details.

SLINTGL PROGRAM ON BIRDS

A three day program titled an ‘Introduction to Birds and Interpretation’was organised by the Lanka Institute of National Tour Guide Lecturers in collaboration with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka from 12th till 14th June 2023. Please click for more information

Sancharaka Udawa 2023

The Sri Lanka Institute of National Tour Guide Lecturers Association was represented once again at Sancharaka Udawa held at the BMICH premises on 19th and 20th May. please click here for more details

World Tourist Guide Day

The event organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers to commemorate the World Tourist Guide Day was successfully held on the 21st of February, with the participation of more than a hundred members.

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Lecture No 03. Biodiversity, Culture and Tourism.

The third of the series of scholarly lectures organised by the Educational Program Division of the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers was successfully held on the 23rd of November 2022 with the participation of a large number of members.

continue reading…

Inaugural Session of Weekly Yoga Course.

Marking another step in the educational program conducted by the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers, the inaugural session of the weekly yoga course was held with great success on 6th November 2022. More than thirty members participated in the program that day and veteran yoga instructor Mr. Dananja Mettasinghe generously presented many vital facts and exercises.

This program is scheduled to be held every Sunday at 4.30 pm from now on. We request that you, as a member of our institution, take care of your physical and mental health by continuing to participate in this course, which is conducted with its primary focus on your well-being.

Diploma in Archaeology and Cultural Tourism PGIAR

53 National Tourist Guide Lecturers successfully completed the course and were awarded the Diploma at a simple but dignified ceremony held at the Auditorium of the National Museum.  

Continue reading….

The Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers held an online lecture on Human Settlements in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers held an online lecture on Human Settlements in Sri Lanka on the 30th of October 2022. It was conducted by Mr. Don Anil Munasinghe, who is a member of our institute. Mr Munasinghe has completed his higher studies in the Russian Federation and bears Postgraduate Diplomas in Palaeobiodiversity as well as Archaeology and Cultural Tourism from the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR), University of Kelaniya

continue reading. .

Sigiriya architectural complex, from the creators designing point of view.

The Sri Lanka Institute of National Tour Guide Lecturers (SLINTGL) in collaboration with the Lions Club, Colombo held a lecture at the SLINTGL Auditorium on Friday, 14th October, 2022.

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World Tourism Day – 2022

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has celebrated World Tourism Day on 27 th  September.

*Evolution of Sri Lankan musical elements from the Mesolithic era to the New Millennium.

*Was Balangoda Man attuned to music?

*Trends and changes in local music forms through the ages.

Lecture and Discourse by Mr. Nadika Guruge on 15 th Nov. 2023. Venue: SLINTGL Auditorium at 9.00am onwards . Please confirm your participation by filling out the Google form

Sanjika 0773753530 Janaka  0770713192

The History of Sri Lankan Music.

The Lecture by Mr. Nadeeka Guruge on the Evolution of Music in Sri Lanka was held on Wedenesday 15 th Nov.’ 23 at the SLINTGL Auditorium. The deep insights by Mr Guruge on the sounds and rythms of Sri Lanka since antiquity was appreciated by a large audience of over 150 participants that included Mr …

Continue reading “The History of Sri Lankan Music.”

*Evolution of Sri Lankan musical elements from the Mesolithic era to the New Millennium. *Was Balangoda Man attuned to music? *Trends and changes in local music forms through the ages. Lecture and Discourse by Mr. Nadika Guruge on 15 th Nov. 2023.Venue: SLINTGL Auditorium at 9.00am onwards.Please confirm your participation by filling out the Google …

Continue reading “Evolution of Sri Lankan Music by Nadeeka Guruge.”

World Tourism Day 2023

SRI LANKA is the finest example of a country where the pristine power of nature is overhelmingly evident. We call all travellers to embrace the diversity of our green world, our friendship and the islands truly amazing discoveries! Happy World Tourism Day!

Our Mission:

1. Represent National Tourist Guide Lecturers, protect their interests and foster goodwill with other industry stakeholders within the tourism industry

2. Enhance the knowledge, skills and standards of the members through training courses, workshops and seminars

3. Work in collaboration with other industry stakeholders to ensure  sustainability, benefiting all Sri Lankans

4. Support regulatory authorities to implement and regulate the legal framework for tourism management

Mr. Manoj Maddage

Mr. Sudesh Wickramarathne

Mrs. Amali de Zoysa

• Mr. Anura  Hemachandra (Vice President)
• Mr. Lasantha Rajapakse (Vice President)
• Mr. Sarath Wijendra (Vice President)
• Mr. Hashan Fonseka (Consultant/ Advisor)
• Mr. Sumedha Chandrawansha. (Consultant/ Advisor)
• Mr. Kithsiri Gunawardana (Consultant/ Advisor)
• Mr. Janaka Dunusinghe (Chief organizer)
• Mrs. Sanjika Hengst (Director training)
• Mr. Richard James (Director Media)
• Mr. Senaka Jayadewa (Director Publications)
• Mr. Dananjaya Meththasinghe (Director Legal)
• Mr. Anurudhdha Fernando (Director Administration and HQ)
• Mr. Udaya Liyange (Director Projects)
• Mr. Prabath Priyanga (Director Welfare)
• Mr. Rohana Hettiarachchi (Assistant Treasurer)
• Mr. Muthu Ekanayaka (Director)
• Mr. T. R. Cuttilan (Director)
• Mr. Ranjith Amarasinghe (Director)
• Mr. R. A. N Perera (Director)
• Ms. Sampath de Silva (Director)
• Mr. Dilan Abeydeera (Director)
• Mr. Joe Livera
• Mr. Christopher Silva
• Mr. Ravi Munasinghe
• Ms. Yasmin Abesooriya
• Mr. Bobby Senaweera

Our History

The initial tourism regulations were laid down in 1966 under the Ceylon Tourist Board act. The first batch who were trained as Tourist Guide Lecturers formed the Tourist Guide Lecturers Association in 1968 with 15 members who gathered at the residence of Mr. Dudley Perera electing Mr. Ernest Munasinghe as the president and Mr. Reggie Perera as the secretary. The association was registered as National Tourist Guide Lecturers Association of Sri Lanka (NTGLASL) in 1986. In 2007 the association was registered as the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers (SLINTGL). The first office was established in 1986 at Connaisance De Ceylan office in Colombo 8. A permanent office was operated in the Taj Samudra complex from 1987 to 1995. In 1995 a building was purchased at no 37/35, Temple Road, Colombo 10 where the present four storied headquarters was built in 2009.

The institute at present has 1480 NTGLs speaking 24 different languages engaged in professional tour guiding in Sri Lanka. The Institute is a full member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) which is the worldwide international federation representing official tourist guides. To mark “International Tourist Guide Day” (ITGD) which is on 21st February workshops and community activities are organized by the institute. Also to mark the world tourism day on 27th September special programmes are conducted in addition to holding workshops for industry employees and university students studying tourism management.

Email Office: [email protected] President: [email protected] Secretary: [email protected] Treasurer: [email protected]

Tour Guide Course – Area Tour Guide Lecture (Central Province)

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The tour guide course, which is conducted by the Department of Trade, Commerce, and Tourism provides the Area tour guide lecture License for one (01) year. This is permitted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to work as a tour guide within the Central Province. The selection of candidates is as per the Gazette notification no. 2140/17 dated September 10, 2019. The license will be issued by the SLTDA through the Department of Trade, Commerce, and Tourism. 

Course Details

Eligibility Criteria:

• Shall have passed G. C. E. O/L Examination with four subjects in at least two sittings;
• Shall have successfully completed the Area Tourist Guide Training Course conducted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management; or
• Shall have successfully completed any other training conducted by any institute duly recognized and authorized for this purpose by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority;
• Shall be a permanent resident in the province where the authorized area is located.

Registration: 

The person who is willing to enroll in the program can be registered at the Department of Trade Commerce and Tourism or here .    

Next intake 2023

Selection Procedure:

Selection will be accomplished through a written test, and the candidates who obtain the highest marks will be selected for the "Area Tour Guide Lecturer" program and others can be join with the Facility Provider which conducts by the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism. The cut-off marks will be decided by the SLTDA. The examination is free of charge, and the selected candidates should be paid for the course. The curriculum of the course has been developed under the supervision of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM).

Qualified candidates need to apply online for SLTDA registration with the recommendation of the Department of Trade, Commerce, and Tourism.

Required documents for the online registration of SLTDA:

• Result sheet of the selection test
• Birth Certificate
• Copy of National Identity Card (NIC)
• Police Report
• Medical Report
• Certificate on Residence and character issued by the Grama Niladhari 

Course Fee:

LKR 15000.00

Course duration:

The course duration is 200 hours and 80% of attendance is compulsory. 

Hotel School Complex - Matale 

Course Evaluation:

The final evaluation includes a written test and a presentation, which are conducted under the supervision of SLITHM.

Certificate/License:

The certificate/license will be issued by the SLTDA through the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism.

Required documents for renewal:

Renewal fee: LKR 1500.00

• License for Facility Provider 

Candidates who are not chosen for the area tour guide course can enroll in the facility provider course (depending on the cut-off mark). Those who are complete the course, will be able to obtain the "Facility Provider License" for three (03) years, which issues by the Department of Trade Commerce and Tourism.

License Renewal Process: 

For license renewal, the license holders must attend the two (02) days capacity building program, which is conducted by the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism.

Renewal Fee : LKR 1500.00

Address: Department of Trade Commerce and Tourism, no.1054, Gatambe, Peradeniya. 

Fax/TP: 0812387118

Email – [email protected]  

[email protected]

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Opening new opportunities

Our National tour guide course is well formulated to open new industrial opportunities where your passion lies.

National Tourist Guide Course (Licensing Program)

Tourist Guide Service as defined as a service provided to tourists by escorting them or giving them information and narrations concerning all aspects of tourism interests in Sri Lanka. As unofficial ambassadors of the host country, fundamental prerequisites for tourist guides are positive personal, ethical and moral characteristics including honesty, modesty, dignity, and trustworthiness. Equally important are intellectual qualities including comprehensive knowledge and a strong grasp of the subject matter, good analytical skills, a comparative perspective for historic cultural sites, and a commitment to continuous learning and personal enrichment. Moreover, essential professional qualities include the ability to communicate and present facts in the visitor’s language, the capacity to lead and organize groups, correct posture and eye contact, and the ability to tell stories. The aim of this course is to produce a Tourist Guide with all the above mentioned qualifications and qualities. This course focuses to develop standardized Tour guides with and to obtain the “licence” issued by SLTDA as the prime legal requirement to perform as a Tourist Guide in Sri Lanka

It may help to become a disciplinary tour guide with all qualifications and qualities.

To increases the technical and social competencies as well as the intellectual qualities including comprehensive knowledge and a strong grasp of the subject matter, good analytical skills, and a comparative perspective for historic cultural sites and to better understand the cultural background, personal expectations and behaviors of tourists.

It may lead to quality improvements in hosting tourists and to increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, and in this way facilitates the positioning of tourism enterprises in the international market.

Course Content

Strengthen and develop the potential rural communities for sustainable implementation of CBT in Sri Lanka by the eldership of SLITHM

Name of the Module

History and Heritage of Sri Lanka - part 01

Introduction to Tourism Industry

Sri Lankan Studies - part 01

Personal Professional Development - part 01

History and Heritage of Sri Lanka - part 02

Sri Lankan Studies- Part 02

Personal Professional Development Part 02

Professional Tour Guiding - Part 02

History and Heritage of Sri Lanka

Professional Tour Guiding

Entry Qualifications

The applicant should be a citizen of Sri Lanka.

Applicant should be between 21 and 60 years of age on the closing date of the application.

G.C.E. Advance Level – should pass all subjects in at least two sittings and should have passed English in G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination with a credit pass or should possess a degree by a recognized by the University Grant Commission. Or Should have completed Tour Guiding Programme which offers NVQ Level 4 Or Should Have Continues Service Experience Not Less than 5 years as a show-offer Tourist Guide.

Should Possess a certified of proficiency in the language (International or advance Level) intends to practice as a tourist guide and Should prove language proficiency (English or Other Language) by producing credintials.

Teaching Methodologies

Lectures – (Online/Offline) | Field Visits | Familiarization Tours

Period of the Course : 05 Months - Full Time

Course fee : rs. 150,000/=, contact details.

General Inquiry : Mr. Lalin Thebuwana

Tel : 011- 2208312

Address : Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management, 78, Galle Road, Colombo 03

Next Intake - Feb 2025

A minimum qualification is only required to enroll the course

Blended with both theoretical and practical exposure

Opportunity to study diversified fields of hotel operation

Scholarships for low income students