GOINGS ON AT THE INSTITUTE
Institute, not Institution. For those not in the know The Institue of Tourist Guiding is the supervisory body which now owns and supervises the blue badge and other guiding qualifications.
Or does it? There has been a new guiding course set up in Westminster which will qualify 'guides' for (most of) the west end of London. Many will already have the well established City of London qualification and some London blue badge guides think that they will start to slip into work that they have had a virtual monopoly of up until now. In fact, there is nothing the Institute (or anyone else) can do if someone calling themselves a tour guide picks up a microphone on a coach that is doing a panoramic tour of London (or anywhere else). The police are not interested and there are no laws on guiding except to say that drivers cannot talk on the microphone whilst they are driving - not that the law stops them. The only real clout comes at the entrance to the sites that blue badge guides have pased their exams on and which insist on qualified (or in-house guides) only conducting tours therein. These are Westmisnter Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London and Windsor Castle - two churches and two castles, at least one or two of which wil be on the itinerary of most serious tourists coming to London.
It is the Blue Badge monopoly on these places which give the badge its real value, as well as the knowledge that most people who have studied for the badge will at least have a fairly serious and professional approach to the job. Some guides pass dozens of exams but can never master the art of communicating at the right level and tone - others scrape through their exams but develop an effective spiel which they stick to and succeed with.
There was a lot of feeling in the Institute AGM - from London guides, but not from those outside - but it is unlikely that there will be any major repercussions. The Inst, like every other guiding organisation, cannot afford to alienate too many members, some of whom are involved int he alternative course, and there will be no boat rocking just yet.
Off tomorrow on the first of the six day winter tours and staying overnight in Bath, which should be fun, although the single rooms are tiny at the Lawnsdowne Grove. The things we worry about...
Or does it? There has been a new guiding course set up in Westminster which will qualify 'guides' for (most of) the west end of London. Many will already have the well established City of London qualification and some London blue badge guides think that they will start to slip into work that they have had a virtual monopoly of up until now. In fact, there is nothing the Institute (or anyone else) can do if someone calling themselves a tour guide picks up a microphone on a coach that is doing a panoramic tour of London (or anywhere else). The police are not interested and there are no laws on guiding except to say that drivers cannot talk on the microphone whilst they are driving - not that the law stops them. The only real clout comes at the entrance to the sites that blue badge guides have pased their exams on and which insist on qualified (or in-house guides) only conducting tours therein. These are Westmisnter Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London and Windsor Castle - two churches and two castles, at least one or two of which wil be on the itinerary of most serious tourists coming to London.
It is the Blue Badge monopoly on these places which give the badge its real value, as well as the knowledge that most people who have studied for the badge will at least have a fairly serious and professional approach to the job. Some guides pass dozens of exams but can never master the art of communicating at the right level and tone - others scrape through their exams but develop an effective spiel which they stick to and succeed with.
There was a lot of feeling in the Institute AGM - from London guides, but not from those outside - but it is unlikely that there will be any major repercussions. The Inst, like every other guiding organisation, cannot afford to alienate too many members, some of whom are involved int he alternative course, and there will be no boat rocking just yet.
Off tomorrow on the first of the six day winter tours and staying overnight in Bath, which should be fun, although the single rooms are tiny at the Lawnsdowne Grove. The things we worry about...
posted by tourguideddie at 10:29 AM
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