Training
Community Guides Development Program
Indonesia tourism is finally booming and this is great for national, local and private sector development. The challenge is how to harness the tourism boom to support sustainable landscapes and communities.idGuides is pioneering an Indonesia-wide Guides Development Program for guides at community, regional and national levels. The program is geared to Indonesia´s operating environment, linked to national competency standards (SKKNI) and builds on best practice certification schemes for international mountain guides, expedition leaders, and PADI open water diving.The idea is that anyone can join the scheme as a candidate to become a professional guide. A candidate undertakes training, logs experience and is assessed for qualifacation as an idGuide.During the pilot since 2009, idGuides has trainedspan 100 Guides at Regional and Community Levels, with 10 graduating to the National.
As modern day travelers and tourists, we seek new knowledge and personal growth through exploration and experience of increasingly remote and “authentic” destinations and cultures.However, the tourism asset base most often overlooked by governments, private destination developers and communities is the traditional knowledge, landscape, heritage and foods of the local communities themselves. Meanwhile, rural communities who could benefit from responsible tourism find themselves increasingly marginalized from mainstream and niche tourism markets, which are increasingly booked online. The idGuides – Community Guides Development Program is established to address this issue and seeks to support communities to access responsible tourism markets with direct support for;
- Developing marketable community-based tourism products
- Improving guiding standards
- Providing the opportunity, association and support to idGuides-trained community guides to progress their careers, qualify for higher fees and sustain conservation-based livelihoods
Community Guides development – 3 progressive levels
At the entry level, idGuides has developed and operates 3 progressive guides standards at the community level. Every person starts as a Candidate at level 0. Registers interest to work as a Community Guide and participates in Community Guides Basic Training- Community Trail Guide Assistant “Pakai Putih” White T-shirt Uniform
- Community Trail Guide “Pakai Kuning” Yellow T-shirt Uniform
- Senior Community Trail Guide “Pakai Kuning” & Yellow T-Shirt Uniform
- idGuides Expedition Leader Development Program “Pakai Biru” Blue T-shirt Uniform
For more information on idGuides’ responsible tourism development initiative supporting sustainable landscapes and peoples through community ecotourism ventures, read about idGuides Connect. and look up our Ecotourism Support Consultant Services. idGuides Connect supports local community guides and local service providers to;
- Learn to recognize the ecotourism value of their landscapes, indigenous knowledge, heritage and culinary customs;
- Develop, operate, communicate and market their products and services through online channels such as Trip Advisor and Facebook, and directly through idGuides expeditions, escapes and courses.