How to use professional tourist guides to enhance the student experience

The Association of Professional Tourist Guides (APTG), which is soon to be re-branded as ‘Guide London’, are currently looking at ways in which they can offer their professional services to accredited language schools which are either based in the London area or which bring students into London. This might be through walks or talks or anything else that can help your students make that link between learning and leisure.

As a start there are two daily walks which may be of interest (and graded language tours for groups of 20 or more can be requested):

The Essential London Walk

• Retrace the steps of history with stories of royalty, politicians, heroes and further colourful characters in the city of Westminster. Includes Parliament and Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, London Eye and River Thames.
• Every day at 10am, meet at Piccadilly Circus (Eros), £5, lasts 2 hours
• No need to book (unless big group)
• For more information visit: http://www.touristguides.org.uk/ or email essentialwalk@hotmail.co.uk

Tour the Olympic Park Area

• A walk through the historic River Lea Valley to the viewing point on the edge of the Olympic construction site, where you’ll see and hear about the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village and other 2012 venues as they rise from the ground. You’ll be brought up to date on the Games and their legacy.
• Every day at 11am, meet at Bromley-by-Bow underground station, £8 (£5 concessions), lasts 1¾ hours
• Booking preferred at http://www.toursof2012sites.com/ (and more information)

Note: The Blue Badge is the highest standard awarded by the Institute of Tourist Guiding, and all guides carry full public liability insurance.

If you need any more information, or have any suggestions, you can use the contacts above, or alternatively email me, Keith Harding, at keithhard@hotmail.co.uk.

We’re hoping this can be an exciting new area of cooperation and development for accredited language providers and professional tourist guides alike.