WFTGA - World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations We are the ...

WFTGA - World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations We are the Professionals!

CIRCULAR MAY 2013 Dear Colleagues and friends, Since the last convention in Macau, a lot has happened and I would like to inform you on some issues. First of all I would like to thank our former President Rosalind Newlands, who has promoted WFTGA on a large scale and created, with many travels, our international contacts! During her eight years as Vice President and President, WFTGA doubled its members. Most important, we gained official partnership and cooperation with UNESCO. The Training Division has grown into an internationally accepted institution, and in some years we provided 18 courses around the world, including UNESCO support in Ethiopia and India. As an Affiliate with UNWTO we are on partnership in various projects, especially in the Caucasus Region. I would like to thank Ros for all her past initiatives and efforts, and her continued service. We still are dependent on Ros’ assistance with banking. WFTGA’s bank account was established in Cyprus, the country of our former Treasurer Koula Vassiliou, and it is proving very difficult to clear out and change to another country due to the current banking constraints in Cyprus. In this context I would also express my sincere thanks to Koula as a long-term treasurer for WFTGA! She and a local accountant have been safeguarding our small not-forprofit account. She too, is not yet fully liberated from her WFTGA duties - and often queues up for up to four hours to accomplish transactions for us! We expect to solve all of this within the next days. The new bank account will be published with this year’s invoices. To all who stepped down from ExBo, Ros and Koula, as well our highly appreciated survey specialist Govind Agrawal, I would like to send our deep thanks and wish them lots of interesting guests and diversity in their region! WFTGA is aware that many of our members have experienced tough times: earthquakes in already badly hit areas like Japan or the Philippines; almost complete failure of economy in the countries Cyprus and Greece; terror and extreme weather damage in the USA; floods and fires in Bangladesh, Italy and others: ExBo expresses its deep concern and wishes the best recovery for ALL! WFTGA is aware that the global economic crises lingers above and amidst us, but the newly elected ExBo would like to express their full support wherever needed and would wish for all of you, either an excellent season with lovely guests or a great recovery with new ideas to develop! In the long run, any development brings best results. Please do consider the Code of Ethics and work accordingly: help yourself and your neighbour, bring factual information in entertaining ways and try to use calmer time for refreshing your professional abilities! WFTGA especially asks each of our members to open our website as often as possible to find news and services; it might help anyone around the globe! Guideline Internetion@l will come with reports from all over the world in June and [email protected] asks you to send articles that you deem interesting and want to share with all others.

Felicitas Wressnig - WFTGA President - Franz-Josefs-Kai 33/12 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel + Fax: +43 (0)15323197 Mobile: +43 664 2128014 [email protected] - [email protected] WFTGA Sponsored and Supported by Androus Foundation; Cyprus Tourism Organisation; Cyprus Tourist Guides Association; Scottish Tourist Guides Association; Universiti Malaysia Sabah; University of Cyprus; University of Edinburgh, Vienna Chamber of Commerce Registered Office: Vienna Austria - www.wftga.org WFTGA is an NGO in Operational Relations with UNESCO - Affiliate Member of UNWTO

WFTGA - World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations We are the Professionals!

Some news collected: The President and Vice President travelled to Armenia to visit the opening of an International Tourism Fair (photograph in Guidelines); the President then immediately continued to Mexico (with major jetlag) to take up contacts with the Southern Hemisphere with interesting and enjoyable meetings. VP Wilja Siebe presented her view on the tourist guide profession in relation to university theory at Breda, Netherlands; it becomes obvious that theory and practical interpretation need a common platform and more cooperation in our profession. Representing WFTGA, former president Ros Newlands visited ITB at Berlin, one of the leading international Travel and Trade Shows. President Felicitas Wressnig attended a UNWTO meeting related to a project covering the North Caucasus in Baku, Azerbaijan and will again represent WFTGA at IMEX in Frankfurt, another of the leading tourism fairs. Many of our Area Representatives have renewed their posts and started additional contacts within their regions. If you have any need or wish for support please let us know about your ideas. We are updating our website continuously – please advise any change - but do give us time to make the changes, please: we are all volunteers with substantial work and family demands! You will soon notice ExBo has created a new Corporate Identity. Hopefully, you will take an active part in our efforts to promote the profession of tourist guide in your region. Training courses are run now in the Punjab and Crete, but can be organised anywhere, in various languages like Arabic, French, German, Greek, Spanish, Russian – and English, as our official language. WFTGA Training plans include the following training courses open to all at: Sabah, Malaysia, starting on July 22nd for 14 days Nicosia, Cyprus, starting on November 9th for 14 days. Either course will bring you to Trainer status and enable you to use WFTGA standards to offer in your area. Watch our website for details coming soon. Wishing you effective work and sending sincerest greetings, Felicitas Wressnig WFTGA President

Felicitas Wressnig - WFTGA President - Franz-Josefs-Kai 33/12 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel + Fax: +43 (0)15323197 Mobile: +43 664 2128014 [email protected] - [email protected] WFTGA Sponsored and Supported by Androus Foundation; Cyprus Tourism Organisation; Cyprus Tourist Guides Association; Scottish Tourist Guides Association; Universiti Malaysia Sabah; University of Cyprus; University of Edinburgh, Vienna Chamber of Commerce Registered Office: Vienna Austria - www.wftga.org WFTGA is an NGO in Operational Relations with UNESCO - Affiliate Member of UNWTO