The UNESCO Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide (Macao) Certificate Presentation Ceremony took place at IFT today. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr. Chui Sai On, UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, Dr. Richard Engelhardt and President of IFT, Dr. Fanny Vong presided over the ceremony. 8 UNESCO Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide Certified Trainer and 20 UNESCO Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide for the Historic Centre of Macao were awarded badge and certificate. Macao’s historic relics indulge tourists in great pleasure and appreciation. In 2005, “The Historic Centre of Macao” was officially inscribed in the UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee. Since then, the number of tourists arrival to admire our World Heritage Sites has risen substantially. Macao government has always been devoted to promoting “Cultural Heritage Tours”, expecting to build the image of Macao as a “Culture Capital”. 2006 was “World Heritage Year of Macao” and government launched more special tourist products and programmes related to the world heritage. Moreover, the revision of legislation in terms of heritage protection is also in progress in order to reinforce the protection of Macao cultural heritage. Nonetheless, to promote the wellbeing of the heritage sites a new breed of responsible and informed tourists is indispensable; therefore, heritage guides play an important role in educating the visitors abut the authentic values of the sites and codes of responsible conduct. For this purpose, the UNESCO-ICCROM Asian Academy for Heritage Management launched the Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide Programme in 2005. IFT as a founding member of the UNESCO-ICCROM Asian Academy for Heritage Management, serves as the regional focal point with UNESCO providing technical advisory services and oversight. Through this programme, UNESCO, IFT and the national training institutions offering related training courses will officially train, examine and accredit guides. The Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide Programme is a regional certification programme, helping licensed tour guides who intend to become a UNESCO cultural heritage specialist guide to obtain the qualification. This programme features 2 parts: First part: Macao Heritage Tour Guide Course (country/region module)
This course mainly teaches the significance, protection, interpreting, guiding the visitors to behave appropriately and also how a heritage guide can support the sustainable tourism, etc. If the students pass the examination can be awarded a certificate of completion as well as a “Macao Heritage Tour Guide” identification card. Second part: UNESCO Cultural Heritage Interpretation Course (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage general knowledge module)
This course is applicable for the all countries and regions which want to train the World Cultural Heritage Guide. This course addresses issues related to developing tourism at World Heritage Sites, such as learning UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites, protecting and managing cultural heritages, influencing visitors’ behaviour and relationship between cultural heritage guides and the communities. Participants who have successfully completed both modules and obtained a minimum score of 70% in both final examinations, they can be awarded the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Specialist Guide (Macao) Badge and Certificate. IFT, as the regional focal point, professors since 2006 were invited by UNESCO to conduct the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Interpretation Course in Bhutan, Laos and Malaysia. Later, they will also conduct this course in Vietnam, Thailand and Mainland China (Yunnan). With the rapid development of the tourism industry, Macao’s economy has never been more booming. Mobilised merely by the gaming sector, the tourism industry has to rise to the diversification in order to continue its significant expansion. This is also the policy implemented vigorously by government during the last few years. “Cultural Heritage Tours” not only can attract great variety of tourists, but can also enhance the promotion of Macao’s image as a “Culture Capital”. The economic value of cultural heritage is important, but what we should cherish more is the cultural and historical value. “The Historic Centre of Macao” vividly demonstrates the essence of over 400 years of cultural exchange between the West and Chinese civilisation. Therefore, protecting Macao cultural relics and world heritage is all Macao citizens’ responsibility. Heritage guides’ duty is to enable the visitors to understand the authentic value of cultural heritage and raise their awareness in heritage protection. World heritage is the witness and essence of the human civilisation evolution, we should safeguard and cherish this common treasure of all human beings, then their breathtaking charm and intrinsic beauty would last forever, passing form generation to generation.
