During this first semester of the 2020-21 school year, APIT-Galicia has been teaching in various secondary and professional schools a series of seminars related to safety and COVID prevention amongst strudents training to be tourist guides.

Our profession is aknowledged throughout Europe (EN 13809:2003). The requirements for the training programs and professional qualification of tour guides were established by EN-15565:2008. Several members of FEG and CEFAPIT were present in the CEN/TC 329 comitee that developped it.

These definitions were incorporated to the Spanish legislation through a Royal Decree and an Order. These develop the specific programs to train tour guides in professional highschools.

The texts that rule the profession of tour guides in Galicia are the Lei 7/2011 de Turismo de Galicia and the Decreto 73/2015. The curriculum for training guides in our region can be found here: Decreto 167/2010.

The fields that should be covered during this training have been divided into three groups:

1. common subjects for the whole European area (like general knowledge about European History, Philosophy, Art)
2. subjects specific to the geographic area where the tour guides will work
3. technical skills

This latter includes training in risks prevention. which is what this post is about.

It is possible to get this tour guide training in 7 different highschools in Galicia. This first semester of the 2020-21 school year, the president of the board of APIT-Galicia, Tommi Alvarellos, taught either in person or on-line seminars on preventing COVID during guided tours. We wish the best for these groups of students in their future jobs as they share our Galician heritage with our visitors!

Participating highschools: CIFP Carlos Oroza, CIFP Rodolfo Ucha, IES Eusebio da Guarda, CIFP Manuel Antonio. We are delighted with this cooperation! Any other school interested in this program may apply by mail to: info@guiasdegalicia.org.