Blue Badge and Green Badge Tourist Guides are trained under the auspices of the Institute of Tourist Guiding, which accredits training courses throughout England. These are the highest professional guiding courses and are recognised throughout the world as the gold standard in tourist guiding.
Most training courses for guides last for at least two academic terms and some, e.g. London, last for nearly two years. The courses are part-time (evevings and weekends) and applicants can study whilst retaining their currrent employment.
A wide spectrum of academic, specialist, practical and business training is provided, as well as a core curriculum of the history, architecture and social development of the country. Once qualified, professional Blue and Green Badge Tourist Guides who join the Guild continually update their knowledge and practice through a comprehensive annual programme of Continuous Professional Development. The Guild also offers a number of additional business benefits to qualified guides who join the Guild Community.
The British Guild of Tourist Guides has been training provider for a number of courses including Heart of England, Yorkshire, North East England, Cumbria and Chester. The Guild is currently Training Provider for the courses listed below. Details of other courses for which the British Guild of Tourist Guides is not the training provider can be found on the training pages of the Institute of Tourist Guiding
