Guide Qualifications

Wales Official Tourist Guides

Association members all hold qualifications awarded by VisitWales (Welsh Government).

There are a number of categories of qualification:

All Wales 'Blue Badge'

This is the highest award for practical Tourist Guiding in Wales. 

They have passed practical guide examinations to deliver commentary on a moving vehicle, a walking tour and 3 site tours (including a Religious Building & Gallery/Museum).

They have also passed written examinations about Wales, the United Kingdom & the European Union. 

They are you ideal partners in delivering tours which span more than a single geographic region of Wales.

We will soon be looking forward to welcoming new Blue Badge tourist guides to Wales, as the new Blue Badge Dragon course will start in Spring 2022 and be completed by early summer.

 

Regional 'Green Badge'

Guides are qualified to guide in a defined region of Wales. 

They have passed practical guide examinations to deliver commentary on a moving vehicle, a walking tour and a site tour. They have also passed written examination about both their region and Wales. The regions are North, South West and South East.

WOTGA (Wales Official Tourist Guides Association) is pleased to announce that 13 Green Badge Guides for North Wales, 7 for South East Wales and 6 for South West Wales have successfully completed the new Green Badge course, recognized by both the Federation of European Tourist Guides Associations and Visit Wales/Welsh Government.  Additionally 3 former Pembrokeshire only guides are now able to guide across the South West so have enhanced their knowledge and skills

 

Telling the Stories of South Wales Linguist Endorsement

Existing qualified Blue Badge Guides from other UK nations who have undertaken a 15 week  online course to understand Wales and the Welsh and have passed examinations. They are entitled to guide in their approved language(s) within South Wales.

WOTGA (Wales Official Tourist Guides Association) is pleased to announce that 18 Blue Badge Linguist Guides from across the UK have successfully passed their endorsement course “Telling the Stories of South Wales”, which will help to augment the number of language guides available in Wales.

The languages include Swedish, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Dutch and  German guides to add to Wales already having 3 French, 2 Italian and 6 German speaking Welsh guides.

Many of these linguist guides have now joined our second course, “Telling the stories of North Wales” which started this month. It means that Guides in Wales will be offering an even greater range of languages for our visitors.

 

Knowledge Endorsement

These are accredited 'knowledge only' qualifications, where Guides have passed a written examination in a particular field of interest. This would be in much more depth than covered within normal tourist guiding qualifications. Examples are ‘Chartism Heritage’ and ‘Cordell Country’.