YORKSHIRE TOURISM LEADERS UNITE

The Institute of Tourist Guiding (Institute) successfully convened and hosted a special Yorkshire tourism event, "Local Pride, Local Knowledge," recently as part of its Annual General Meeting at Bradford’s Art Centre. The session brought together key tourism professionals, heritage leaders and civic organisations from across Yorkshire to celebrate and discuss the transformative role of professionally-trained Blue, Green and White Badge qualified local guides in the region.

The event affirmed the importance of Institute-accredited guides, trained to rigorous professional guiding standards, in fundamentally improving the visitor experience. More and better guiding provides the same high standards, strengthening the tourism economy across the county. Discussions centred on how local passion and knowledge, coupled with professional training, enables local people to develop a professional guiding career that transforms the tourism offer of towns and heritage sites into compelling, memorable experiences for visitors from across the globe and the UK. It was highlighted that new modular courses recently developed by the Institute also provide easier entry routes for local people wishing to become professional tourist guides.

Attendees heard real-world case studies from Yorkshire demonstrating the tangible civic and tourism benefits of high-standard guiding, featuring key examples from Knaresborough’s Mayor’s guides, Hull’s White Badge guides and the Blue Badge tourist guide experience from Leeds. These successful training programmes clearly illustrated how Institute-standard training not only enhances visitor satisfaction but also fosters genuine civic pride and strengthens the unique community identity of Yorkshire’s towns and cities. The Institute is committed to continuing to work with regional partners to maintain and elevate these high standards moving forward for the economic benefit of local communities in Yorkshire and beyond.

Keynote speakers at the AGM included Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair, VisitEngland Advisory Board and Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director, Bradford 2025. “It was wonderful to welcome the Institute of Tourist Guiding to Bradford to host their AGM. Among the many benefits of being the UK City of Culture has been the increase in visitor numbers this year, with many people travelling to our city and district from all over the UK and further afield,” said Shanaz Gulzar.

As part of the Institute’s AGM, Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism Civil Society and Youth acknowledged the key importance of Institute-qualified guides to tourism as the country’s storytellers bringing the nation’s rich heritage to life and maintaining high standards of guiding excellence.

“Our Destination Management Plan for North Yorkshire places a strong emphasis on creating exceptional visitor experiences, and high-quality guiding is central to that ambition. Visitors consistently tell us they value authentic, in-person support from local experts who bring our stories to life. The Institute’s commitment to rigorous training ensures guides deliver not only knowledge but passion, transforming visits into memorable experiences. It was inspiring to see the energy and ambition at the event to drive this forward for Yorkshire” said Tony Watson, Head of Tourism, North Yorkshire Council.

During the meeting and the AGM, the Institute highlighted its commitment to ensuring Yorkshire remains a top-tier destination by investing in local talent. "The quality of the welcome a visitor receives defines their entire experience," said Institute President, Jackie Clare. "The case studies clearly showed that nothing beats the deep local knowledge and passion delivered by an Institute-trained professional. This event demonstrated the proven return on investing in local talent, ensuring guides share their local heritage and cultural stories with exceptional pride, clarity, confidence and enthusiasm.”