Harvey leading a tour outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
This February 21st, cities around the world will come to life as tourist guides commemorate International Tourist Guide Day. Harvey Paul Davidson, a leader and active member of both global and local guiding associations (as well as a top Viator Private Guide!) shared with us how International Tourist Guide Day came to be and what New York City guides will be doing this year to celebrate.
[Editor's Note: This event has passed - but you may still browse Viator's network of local guides around the world!]
The Guides Association of New York City is celebrating International Tourist Guide Day with FREE one hour walking tours. Visitors wanting to participate should come to NYC & Company’s Information Center at 810 Seventh Avenue between 9:15 AM and 1:00 PM on Tuesday, February 21st. Also, tourists can contact the guide listed for each tour in advance to sign up for a specific tour on a first come basis as groups are limited to a maximum of ten. Where public transportation is required participants will pay their own way.
Tours are scheduled for Subway Art, Times Square, the theater district, Rockefeller Center, Harlem, Central Park, Roosevelt Island, Chinatown and Staten Island. In addition to English some tours are available in Italian, French, German and Mandarin.
ITGD takes place throughout the world every February 21st. This is the date of the foundation of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations in 1985 (the Guides Association of New York City is a member of the WFTGA). Five years later in 1990 the first International Tourist Guide Day took place with 15 countries participating and this coming year’s International Tourist Guide Day will be celebrated by tour guides in more than 60 countries. The WFTGA logo “Hands Across the World” has never been more appropriate than it is today with its members in every continent, holding hands together to spread messages of peace and friendship to visitors from every culture, while showing them the best of their own countries’ culture and heritage.
Tour guides are strong influencers of visitor behavior and have a very important role to play in the interpretation of culture and heritage to enable a better understanding of our world and of the importance of sustainability. They are the guardians of culture and heritage and help to ensure that it is passed on to future generations intact.
Also, tour guides are often the only local person that visitors really speak to and they are true ambassadors for a city and country.
For additional information, contact Harvey Paul Davidson, a top Viator Private Guide in New York City.
February 15, 2012 by Viator Travel Team
City Tours & Sightseeing, Local Experts & Private Guides