As the beginning of the cruise season draws closer, tour guides from across the country are preparing to welcome passengers and deliver enjoyable, smooth, and memorable excursions.

In a training course organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), tour guides sharpened their communication and commentary skills, their knowledge of Qatar’s tourist sites, and practicing how to build relationships with their tour groups to ensure a wholesome and unique experience.
“A tour guide plays a crucial role in shaping a tourist’s experience of a destination, and by equipping them with the right tools we are ensuring the success of Qatar’s biggest cruise season yet,” commented Najd al- Marri, Head of Tourism Product Support Section at QTA. “This training course is designed specifically for tour guides that will work with cruise passengers, addressing the unique needs of guiding shore excursions, which are often condensed in a day and include large groups.”
Al -Marri added that the training course targeted participants from different backgrounds to cater to the multiple nationalities that will be arriving at Qatar’s shores.
The guides were tested at the end of the course through a practical evaluation that involves guiding a group on a moving bus and giving a tour of Msheireb Museums. Those who pass the test will receive certificates and a license from QTA to become cruise ship tour guides.
During the upcoming cruise season, which begins in October and continues until April 2017, 32 cruise ships are confirmed to call at Qatar’s ports with an expected 50,000 passengers on board. This marks a three-fold increase in the number of ships, and an increase of over 1000% in the expected number of passengers, from the 2015/16 season.