Gotland investing heavily in guide training

The 2018 cruise season represented a major boost for Gotland. The number of arrivals increased by 80 per cent compared with the previous year. A major effort is now being made for the 2019 season in order to meet the need for guides for the tourism industry on the island.

It is the newspaper Gotlands Allehanda which is reporting on the newly-started guide training which has attracted some 40 people.

”There is a major need. The tourism industry is increasing and considerably more cruise ships are calling here, so there is a massive need for guides – particularly with language skills”, says Maria Annerud from Gotland Museum, which is project manager for the guide training.

Strengthen the tourism industry

Region Gotland and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth are also behind the initiative, and the joint objective is to strengthen Gotland’s tourism industry. The schedule includes everything from lectures about hosting and greeting to teaching about Gotland’s trade and industry, culture, leisure activities, history and geography.

”There will be a lot about guiding techniques, but also storytelling and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We then conclude with them having to prepare their own guided tour in June”, Maria Annerud says

The article in Gotlands Allehanda reports that over 60 people have applied for the course. The 40 who are accepted are carefully selected. For Hanna Alvin, it was her interest in history that attracted her to the course.

”I am very interested in history and am studying to become a historian, but I’m not very good on the history of Gotland”, she says.

The course comprises about 100 hours to be completed before the summer. The participants can then call themselves certified Gotland guides and welcome the approximately 125,000 cruise passengers expected to visit Visby.