New regulations for tourist guiding services

• Registration and minimum educational qualification mandatory to operate as tourist guides
• Regulations published by Tourism Ministry
• Tourist guides designated into 4 categories
• Required to be Sri Lankan citizens between 21-60 years

The Ministry of Tourism has issued new regulations for tourist guiding services, setting the minimum educational qualifications for those carrying out such services, while making it mandatory for them to obtain a licence from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to operate.

The regulations were published in the Government Gazette by Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife, and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga under the Tourism Act recently.

The regulations have designated all tourist guide lecturers into four categories on the basis of the services they are authorised to perform with different educational qualifications for each category.

The categories are national tourist guide lecturer, chauffeur tourist guide lecturer, area tourist guide lecturer, and site tourist guide lecturer.

Those wishing to obtain a licence from the SLTDA will be required to submit a valid medical certificate issued by a registered Government medical officer – certifying their mental and physical fitness to function as a tourist guide lecturer – submit valid proof of successful completion of training and skills development related to tourist guiding amounting to a minimum of 32 hours per annum conducted by Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers or any other training institute authorised by the SLTDA, as well as a Police certificate of non-conviction.

Those issued with the licence will be required to strictly perform their functions for which approval has been granted by the SLTDA.

All tourist guide lecturers will have to be Sri Lankan citizens between the ages of 21 and 60 years with a proficiency in English or other foreign languages.

Those with a university degree recognised by the University Grants Commission in the subjects of history, geography, sociology, archaeology, botany, zoology, agriculture, international relations, or in any other subject relevant to tourism, will be given preference.

The minimum qualification to be registered as a national tourist guide lecturer is a proficiency in spoken English while having passed the Advanced Level examination in all subjects in at least two sittings with a credit pass for the subjects of English as well as have successfully completed the national tourist guide training course conducted by the SLITHM, and hold a valid certificate issued by the Sri Lanka Institute of Hotel Management.

Chauffeur, area, and site tourist guide lecturers will be required to have passed the Ordinary Level examination with six subjects in at least two sittings as well as have successfully completed the relevant courses conducted by SLITHM.

Chauffer tourist guide lecturers will also need to hold a valid driving licence issued to drive a vehicle with a seating capacity of seven, with at least five years of experience of driving such a vehicle.