“International Tourist Guide Day” In IRAN

Tour Guide, Bio diversity, Responsibility

Iranian tour guides celebrated 21st of February in harmony with UNWTO’s theme
This year, Iranian tour guides by help of tour guide trade unions of different provinces celebrated tour guide world day on February 21st in the city of Ramsar (north of Iran) to maintain the sense of identity and to emphasize job duties and goals with view to nature touring.
Simultaneously with other countries,Tour guides from all over Iran celebrated 21st of February, one of the most important conventions of tour guides, in the city of Ramsar, located in Mazandaran Province, for the 4th year. More than 400 tour guides attended in this ceremony from different provinces such as Tehran, Esfahan, East and West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Semnan, Qazvin, Kerman, Golestan, Gilan, Mazandaran and the local people Who provide local houses, foods and tours for the passengers.
According to UNWTO’s slogan, “ Tour Guide, Bio diversity, Responsibility ”, and simultaneously with 40th anniversary of signing the world convention, Ramsar Convention (emphasizes the protection of world wetlands), this year the ceremony was held in Ramsar based on nature touring from 19th to 21st.
Developing knowledge of tour guides
At the first day, 12 workshops were held in university. It included different subjects such as introducing tourist attractions of Iran, Lake Urmia and threatening dangers, photography in nature, garbage and cleaning nature during trip, communication skills, knowing GPS, role of expertness in tourism, security and rescue in nature.
Using recyclable dishes
The second day program included two parts. In the morning, tour guides had new experience in Ramsar cable-cars and in the evening, they went to “ Chaldare “ area in Tonekabon and participated in sports matches. They watched “ Gile mardi “ wrestling (it can be registered as an intangible heritage) accompanied by local music. Handicrafts, local clothing, foods and drinks were noticeable for tour guides. To serve lunch, they used recyclable dishes to emphasize protecting nature. At the end, tour guides cleaned the area.
Cultural meeting with experts and tour guides
After the tour guides returned from “ Chaldare “, they saw Ramsar museum. At the same time, there was a cultural meeting in ” Negin “ restaurant. The audience were special guests:
1. Bijan Farhang Darre Shouri, ecologist and nature photographer.
2. Naser Karami, journalist and environment expert.
3. Mehdi Nabieian, writer.
4. Alireza Naderi, entomologist and butterfly expert.
5. Mahmoud Sakhtbaz, one of the most skillful tour guides about hunting tours.
6. Houman Jokar, expert in wildlife and ecotourism.
7. Fakhr o sadat Ghani, expert in nature touring.
8. Kamran Kamali, writer.
9. Hormoz Emami, director.
10. Iraj Milani, documentary film maker.
11. Representatives of trade unions in different provinces and tourism journalists.
In this meeting, the experts and journalists talked about environmental subjects and its relation with tourism and the role of tour guides. Before the meeting was finished, tour guides entered the restaurant but they didn’t make any problem.
World registration of Hirkani jungles
At the last day, before the ceremony, there was an exhibition that the representatives of different provinces presented their brochures and packages of cultural products to introduce their activities about tourism. Also, tourism journals and the sponsors attended. This year like the other years, the ceremony began at 9:57A.M. 21st of February to emphasize the importance of punctuality. The ceremony included some speeches, giving gifts and performing live music. The active persons in tourism, best tour guides and the sponsors were praised and tour guides demanded to register Hirkani jungles in UNESCO as one of natural heritages and also they wanted the municipality of Ramsar to name one of the streets in this city with the name of tour guide. As the permanent symbol, the statue of ceremony is being transferred to the place of ceremony, and this year, the statue was delivered to the representative of Ramsar by the representative of East-Azerbaijan.

Reported By: Azadeh Attar – Translated By: Somayeh Mahdavinia

Comments

  1. Maryam

    Hi,

    That was so delightful to me to read, again, an article in English at your website, as it seemed you have forgotten there is such a space at your site; however, on the report, kindly translated by our dear Somayeh, I should say there are some mistakes, so that it needs to be edited. Indeed, that is due to my view and it does not mean I, myself as an ordinary person, did not appreciate it and what she did, as I do appreiate, by I dare say it needs editing, although you may think vice versa.
    On proving what I said, indeed, up to the Developing knowledge of tour guides:
    1) With view of: what does it mean? as it might be, or no surely, ” with view to” as it means in consideration of.
    2) World convention:do we use such a term or phrase or …: I havenot seen. Don’t you think it would better to use Ramsar Convention itself, as it is so popular itself, or if you want to elaborate more on thatyou may say: Ramsar Convention, the only global enviromental traty; or, the convention on wetlands, signed in Ramsar; or, …
    3) Lagoon: why lagoon when ” wetlands” is using biologically speaking? If you refer to Internet and all the data considering Ramsar Convention, you will see wetlands but not lagoon.
    4) Slogan: means a short phrase used to identify a company and its goals, and so on; therefore, it would be accurate as theme is the word using due to its meaning which is the distinct and unifying idea, since idea matters by its unifying nature not the goal of UNWTO itself.
    5) As far as I know the theme of 2010 was Tourism and biodiversity not the Tour Guide, Life Diversity, Responsibility .
    and the last is my own suggestion that wasnot better to use “Khoshe sar boomgardi” and then clarify it more to the people may not aware of such a thing.

    Enjoy your days and always bear in your mind that there are people like me waiting for English articles at this website.

  2. somaye

    thank you Maryam.
    I should say that I agree with you about all my mistakes except number 4. if you are right,can you please replace another world.
    I,m waiting for your reply.

  3. Maryam

    Hi to both you and Somayeh for being so broad-minded.

    On number 4 I would ask you to look at the site below
    http://www.unwto.de/
    and as I told you I asked “theme” to be replaced instead of slogan as the site itself says so.

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