The Institute of Tourist Guiding was formed in 2002 as an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 professional

Professional

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 body.

It was formed with the approval of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Trade and Industry to encourage professionalism in – and raising the status of – the guiding sector. The Institute provides for examinations and assessments for qualifications and awards; the current highest qualification being the Blue Badge.

Mission

The Institute of Tourist Guiding strives overall for raising the status of tourism in England. Its primary mission is to maintain standards for the different tourist guiding qualifications in England. It also provides examinations and accreditation, enforces a Code of Conduct, encourages Institute membership, and provides professional services to members. Notably, the Institute does not run training programs.