Tour Guides NI

05/07/2024

STATEMENT: Tour Guides Northern Ireland (TGNI) and Tourism Northern Ireland have met to ensure that the Ulster University (OCN) Tour Guiding Level 4 Qualification will be offered as a professional qualification from 2025.

TGNI Education and Training team members Francis Higgins and Colette McCafferty met Belfast Metropolitan College staff and Tourism Northern Ireland officials to ensure the only accredited level four tour guiding qualification will run during 2025 – 2026, for future tour guides wishing to be industry professionals.
This critical meeting has been the result of eighteen months of collaboration between Belfast Met and TGNI to ensure a sustainable accredited educational pathway and progression route for tour guides across the province.
It is the stated aim of Tourism NI to make this happen.
TGNI have offered to help by offering advice and guidance to other Regional Colleges and providers in this aim.
TGNI not only wants to ensure the continuation of the highest qualification in Tour Guiding in NI but to also provide relevant industry professional feedback and support.
TGNI has also been asked by Belfast Met to help them improve the current levels two and three tour guiding qualifications by working with their team to ensure that their students get contemporary insights into the challenges and rewards of our growing profession.

10/04/2024

Proud to represent Tour Guides NI at Meet the Buyer 2024.
Thanks to and for a fantastic event.

22/02/2024

21/02/2024

Happy international tourist guide day to all tour guides who make it their mission to inform and entertain guests during their guided tours! To all our members, wishing you a lovely day!

01/02/2024

Tour Guides NI Press Release

31st January 2024
Issued by Francis Higgins Press Officer Tour Guides NI who can be contacted for further information here:
[email protected] Mob 07825631550

STATEMENT: Members Meeting to Announce Strategic Policy Overview and Ongoing Work with Public Bodies on Guiding Quality Standards (Accreditation.)
A meeting with over fifty members of Tour Guides NI (TGNI) was held at the Freemasons Hall in Arthur Square, Belfast. Professional guides from across Northern Ireland and also from the ROI listened to a presentation delivered by the TGNI Chairperson Ken Martin who outlined a strategic shift in TGNI to meet the needs of the increasing tourism industry. Ken outlined that the organisation will need to reshape itself to meet the growing visitor needs for guides without compromising the quality and standards of the association. Ken also outlined the input of TGNI into the Tourism NI strategic Ten Year Plan and the wish that Tourism NI integrate all guiding associations in Northern Ireland into a single accountable industry body. Ken said “It is vital that TGNI are part and parcel of the Tourism NI 10 Year Plan. Without Accredited Guides there is no quality assurance, it is akin to asking a teacher to teach without a PGCE. TGNI are a community of trained guides who have a passion for the heritage and history of Northern Ireland.”

Francis Higgins, the Training and Education Coordinator, informed the members of the work the association has done to reinstate the Level Four Tour Guiding Qualification at Belfast Metropolitan College. Francis informed the meeting of the communication TGNI has had with Tourism NI and the Department of the Economy to ensure that training and recognised quality standards are maintained within the industry. Francis also informed the meeting of TGNI's submission to the Tourism NI strategy document that was formulated by the TGNI Educational team and verified by a member of the senior management group and Collette McCafferty, from Travel & Tourism Associates.
Francis informed the meeting “It's critically important to our industry and the Northern Ireland economy that the high quality of tour guides is maintained through worldwide recognised courses. We are the front-line ambassadors of the tourism industry for millions of visitors to Northern Ireland and we above all should seek support to regulate and control the quality of guides here through an Arm’s Length Body.”

The members were treated to a wonderful meal and complimentary drinks after the meeting and also had the chance to visit the many rooms of Arthur Square Freemasons Hall.

Notes to editors:
Ken Martin ’Ken Martin B.Sc. Honours has for the last 15 years enjoyed working as a heritage tour guide. He was always interested in local history and after obtaining an Honours Degree from Q.U.B. in the Social Sciences he then went on to do an M.A. in Irish History. He now does something which he has always loved and that is explaining the history, culture, and heritage of Northern Ireland. He is also the Chairperson of Tour Guides Northern Ireland which is a 100-plus membership organisation and he liaises with all the relevant tourism bodies including Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, Visit Belfast etc. He also promotes Northern Ireland’s heritage through a strong link with OCN NI and Belfast Metropolitan College who run the courses. Over 15 years he has worked at different locations and conducted innumerable heritage tours: he has worked at various visitor attractions, for example, for a few years at Hillsborough Castle explaining the heritage of the sites. He also works as a step-on guide taking students mainly around Belfast explaining the impact that heritage has had on the communities. He works with local schools and the education authorities and their teaching staff and with the College of English Studies based in Dublin and escorts their foreign language students around Belfast, again illustrating the city's heritage. He also conducts tours of Co. Down and Holywood for Ards and North Down Borough Council. For the last 10 years, he has enjoyed working from the ever-increasing Cruise Ship market highlighting Ulster’s heritage. He updates regularly through continuous professional development and the ongoing events organised by Tourism N.I and Visit Belfast.’’
Francis Higgins is an Ulster University Tour Guide graduate and former owner of an accredited training company. An internal verifier for over twenty years he also developed and delivered accredited training packages across the industry and won the UK National Training Award in 2000 and the Regional Award in 2003. Francis also studied Irish-accredited quality assurance systems in tour guiding as part of his 2020-21 Ulster University recognition.
Further information can be found at www.tourguidesni.com
Ken’s contact details are – [email protected]
Francis’ contact details are – 07825631550 (mob) [email protected]

Picture Caption
Ken is the Centre of Attention Once Again by the Committee Members of TGNI

25/01/2024

A really enjoyable social night for our members.
Thank you Belfastladtours for the great pictures!

20/01/2024

BRIGHTER DAYS ARE COMING ☀️ 🙌

18/01/2024

Winter Wednesday ❄️

18/01/2024

The luxury of London’s famous Ivy is coming to Belfast later this year.

17/01/2024

Director Dean DeBlois has confirmed shooting has begun with a cheery post on social media

17/01/2024

£6m will be invested in restoring the natural habitat and improving community access to Belfast's largest green space

15/01/2024

Slemish, County Antrim

15/01/2024

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/key-developments-could-change-face-28421224

Here are some of the developments set to get underway or be completed in the city this year

12/01/2024

NI Science Festival is BACK! 🚀🔬 Returning 15 - 25 February and celebrating 10 years of inspiring the future, tickets are on sale now!

With an impressive line up of over 180 events spread across 50+ venues, get ready for a journey into the fascinating worlds of science, technology, engineering & maths 💥

Get tickets here >> vstbelfast.com/ni-science-fest-24

12/01/2024

📣 JUST LANDED - £7 TICKETS THIS JANUARY TO W5 Belfast🎉

Blast off into the new year with W5 and discover more for less 🚀

Enjoy over 250 hands-on exhibits across 8 action-packed zones, marvel at daily science shows and meet the Ghosts of Winterly Manor 💥

📆 Valid for visits between 11-28 January 2024

🎟 Book tickets HERE: https://bit.ly/MaritimeMile-W5Offer

*T&Cs apply

11/01/2024

Watch the latest from ITV News - Demolition work begun on the former home of UTV, Havelock House. The 150 year old building was first created as a linen factory in the late 1800s.

10/01/2024

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. Ballintoy, Co Antrim. 1903.
(NLI / LOC)

10/01/2024

The NI capital made the list of the 'Best of the Best' destinations for travelling this year

09/01/2024

In January 1879, former US President Ulysses S Grant visited Ulster, which he described to his wife as "coming home" at the end of a long European tour.

Grant's great-grandfather, John Simpson, hailed from Dergenagh, near Ballgawley in County Tyrone, where the family had farmed for generations, and left for Pennsylvania around 1760. This ancestral farm has been preserved to the present day and is a popular tourist attraction.

After leaving Dublin on January 6th, Grant had brief stops in Strabane and Omagh before visiting Londonderry, a city "whose history is so well-known throughout America" as he told the Belfast Newsletter at the time. While there, Grant attended a conference on the Ulster-American connection, and participated in a tour of the city's famous Walls.

The following day, on January 7th, Grant left for Belfast, stopping first in Coleraine where he was met by some men who had served under him during the American Civil War.

Arriving in Belfast that afternoon, Grant saw that the linen mills near the train depot had paused to allow their workers to see the former President, and they had turned out in their thousands in the rain awaiting his train.

In Belfast, Grant went on a tour of the famous White Star shipyards, met more of his former soldiers (and one of his former rebel prisoners) and gave another speech on the Ulster-American connection, speaking fondly of those from Belfast who had helped build America.

09/01/2024

🐦

The numbers of birds taking part in the evening displays over Albert Bridge had dropped in recent years.

09/01/2024

08/01/2024

❗️IMPORTANT NOTICE❗️

From today, Monday 8th January, the Department of Infrastructure will be carrying out essential road improvement works on the Causeway Road for a 3-week period.

The Blue Trail, the most accessible route to the Causeway stones, will be inaccessible to pedestrians. The Translink Shuttle Bus will not be operating for the duration of this time.

For further information on how to plan your visit to the Giant's Causeway, please visit our website👉https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/giants-causeway/booking-your-visit-to-the-giants-causeway

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you for your support.

📸National Trust Images/Ben Selway

National Trust NI

05/01/2024

From its access to beautiful beaches and its vibrant culture and history, Derry is becoming a tourism hotspot

05/01/2024

Hello 2024! 👋 The start of a brand new year. Where in Northern Ireland are you planning to stay or experience this year? 💬

📍 Away A Wee Walk, Causeway Coastal Route.

05/01/2024

Ireland's rich culture and incredible natural scenery promise a trip of a lifetime.

05/01/2024

05/01/2024

Did you know, Belfast has around 10,000m of waterfront, stretching from Sailortown in the Harbour Estate to the Ormeau Park?

As part of the city’s new Waterfront Task Group we’re working with our partners to maximise the area’s potential to provide benefits for everyone.

Fill in this short survey to tell us your views on shaping a world-class waterfront for Belfast ➡️ https://yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfast-waterfront-promenade-framework