What is the Institute of Australian Tour Guides?
As tourism becomes increasingly important to Australia’s economy and to our nation’s sense of identity, the necessity of having knowledgeable, expert tour guides becomes crucial to its success.
To assist Australian tour guides achieve the highest professional standards, the Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG) was established in 1993. Its primary aim is to advocate on behalf of all the members on issues related to the industry. In achieving this IATG promotes the recruitment and training of guides, establishment of industry benchmarks and representation of tour guides at the highest level. Nationally, IATG is a founding member of GOA (Guiding Organisations Australia), which is the peak industry body for Australian tour guides.
INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION:
In pursuing its mission, IATG has become a leading voice in tourism issues at both industry and government level, achieved through its association and participation with such bodies as:
- State and regional tourism organisations such as Tourism New South Wales - click here
- Guiding Organisations Australia (GOA) - click here
- World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) - click here
- International Association of Tour Managers (IATM) - click here
- Tourism Australia - click here
- Tourism Training Australia (TTA), the national industry training advisory body for the tourism industry - click here
- Tourism Industry Council NSW (TIC) - click here
IATG GOALS AND ACTIVITIES:
The Institute of Australian Tour Guides:
- Promotes and maintains the highest standards of competence, integrity and professional conduct of its members.
- Arranges familiarisations, educational lectures and workshops for members to facilitate their professional development.
- Promotes adherence to a code of ethics, liaises with tourism industry participants and industry associations on matters of common concern.
- Through its association with GOA, represents tour guides in developing national competency standards and programs of training.
- Informs its members of changes and other matters of importance in the tourism industry through distribution of regular newsletters and other communications.