West Bengal Tourist Guide Certification Scheme 2021
The Tourist Guides play a significant role in promoting the destinations and products of the State and providing an enriching experience.
BACKGROUND
The competence of the person directly interacting with the visitor would have a major
role to play. This role would invariably be played by the Tourist Guides who would be directly
interacting with the visitor. Direct interaction with the tourists makes them even more responsible
for projecting the state in a correct manner by furnishing factually correct information about the
destination, ensuring the safety of the tourists as well as providing a pleasant and satisfying
experience for them during their visits.
The Government of West Bengal, Department of Tourism, hereby, notifies the West Bengal Tourist Guide
Certification Scheme for the selection, training and Certification of the West Bengal Tourist
Guides. This Scheme would become operational from the date of notification.
1. CATEGORIES OF TOURIST GUIDES :
There shall be two categories of Tourist Guides:
- New Tourist Guide: These will be the fresh intending applicants fulfilling the prescribed eligibility criteria as laid down in para 5a) who will be registered & initially given the Basic training on various aspects of tourism and orientation about essential communication and presentation skills, duration of which will be 04 weeks (192 hours).
- Veteran (Existing) Tourist Guide: These are the Existing Tourist Guides who have been working in the profession as a Guide for at least three years in various tourism places. They will be given an opportunity of getting recognized provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria mentioned in para 5b). They will be provided reskilling in the course for 'Recognition of Prior Learning', duration of which will be 02 weeks (96 hours).
2. ELIGIBILITY & REGISTRATION PROCEDURE:
- Eligibility criteria for New Tourist Guide:
- The candidate must have attained the age of 18 years as on the date of application.
- The candidate should have completed 10th Standard or equivalent examination conducted by any recognized Board by State Government/Government of India on or before the date of registration to the course.
- Should be enthusiastic about history, culture and tourism
- Eligibility criteria for Veteran (Existing) guides to register for the Recognition
of Prior Learning Course.
- The candidate must have attained the age of 18 years as on the date of application.
- The candidate should have completed 8 standard examination.
- Should be enthusiastic about history, culture and tourism
- Should have been working in the profession as a Guide for at least 03 years and would have to upload any Veteran (Existing) valid certificate of IITF and IITG Certification Programme OR a certificate of experience in the said profession duly certified by competent local authority (BDO in case of Block/SDO for municipal areas/Director Tourism for Kolkata) based on local enquiry/recommendation of Gram Panchayat/Municipality.
3. DOCUMENTS TO BE UPLOADED/SUBMITTED.
Intending applicants both New/Veteran (Existing) guides may register themselves online in the website of West Bengal Tourism Department and upload all the following documents OR submit the application form & documents at Office of the District Magistrate/BDO/Office of Director Tourism for Kolkata Municipal Corporation : -
- Document showing age proof (copy of 10th Class Board Certificate/birth certificate issued by the competent authority/EPIC/Aadhaar Card)
- Educational Qualification -Standard 10 or equivalent certificate wherever applicable, (issued by any recognized Board by Government of India/State Government)/Standard 8 result as applicable, and
- Recognition of Prior Learning Course-The Veteran (Existing) Guide must submit valid certificate of IITF and IITG Certification Programme OR a certificate of experience in the said profession duly certified by competent local authority (BDO in case of Block/SDO for municipal areas/Director Tourism for Kolkata), based on local enquiry/recommendation of Gram Panchayat/Municipality - applicable only for Veteran (Existing) Guide applicants.
The Registered Tourist Guides will be authorized to work in West Bengal on a full time
basis independently or can be engaged by the stakeholders of the tourism sector. It is mandatory for
the Tourism Service Providers recognized by the Department of Tourism to engage only the certified
Tourist Guides.
The Training & Resource Partner selected under the Utkarsh Bangla module would be entrusted with
the
responsibility of preparation & upgradation of the entire training module for the course,
conduct of examination, training & facilitating internship, documentation, certification process
and other facilitation process in consultation with the Tourism Department.
The Department reserves the right to suitably amend & modify the provisions in this scheme as
suited to the evolving changes in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
** For additional information please see the Notification of West Bengal Tourist Guide Certification Scheme 2021.