The Russian Tourist Guides Association was founded in 1990 and united professional guides who had been trained and employed previously by the state-run Intourist, Sputnik and Intourburo companies.

The Association currently numbers 1900 guides, who speak 33 languages.

The Association established Moscow Guides Training Centre, which is responsible training guides, refresher cources, professional and creative seminars, presentation of new tourist products and museum updates.

Professional Moscow guides are accredited to guide in the Federal and local museums such as the Kremlin, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum etc using a uniform accreditation card.

17.11.2015 Moscow

Moscow will host The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress

From 18th to 20th November 2015 The Intourist Thomas Cook Company with the support from The National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism Department are carrying out The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress in Moscow.

Today began the arrival of members of Congress and the preparation of its grand opening ceremony, where presentation of Mr Carlos Ortega, president of the FEG, is scheduled along with presentations of the authorities.

This is the first time Moscow won the right to receive members of the European Federation of Associations of Guides. A decision on the venue of the 17th Congress FEG was made in Portugal in 2013, where, with the support of the Moscow Government delegation of the Association of guides and interpreters, guides and tour managers (AGPEiTM) successfully conducted the presentation of the Congress-2015.


Within the Congress will be held International conference of tour guides "On improving the system of tourist-excursion service", where it is planned to compile and analyze international and regional experience in the field excursions.

The conference aims to attract the attention of Russian and foreign professionals of the industry to tourism opportunities in Moscow, as well as to popularize the Russian capital as an important international destinations. The conference will hold discussions on the following topics: "Cooperation between authorities, representatives of tourist industry and public associations in order to create and promote new tour programs and package tours", "Coordination of interaction of professionals in the tourism industry, the museum and the scientific community in higher education institutions for the implementation of educational programs in the inbound tourism "," Legal aspects of guides-interpreters and tour guides activity" and " International and regional experiences in the field of training of guides and interpreters. "

Department of national policy, inter-regional relations and tourism of Moscow strongly supports companies operating in the market of inbound and domestic tourism. Thanks to the actions of the Department of national policy, inter-regional relations and tourism of Moscow, more and more representatives of international and regional tourism operators and agencies get acquainted with tourist potential of Moscow, visiting it during familiarization tours, specialized international exhibitions, congresses and conferences.



European Tourist Guide Federation (FEG) was founded in 1986 in Paris and unites more than 200 thousand professionals from 18 countries, its members. The European Federation of guides includes 18 permanent countries-members of the FEG, 4 countries as associated members of FEG and 9 corresponding members.


The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress has started

The Congress of The European Federation of Tourist Guides Associations starts today, on november 18th in Moscow. It is being held with the support of Department of National Policy, Inter - Regional Relations and Tourism of the city of Moscow. The Congress will take place until November 22th 2015.

The opening ceremony attracted a lot of journalists from different media recourses. The First Deputy of the Head of the mentioned Department Sergey Shpilko welcomed the participants of the congress. He addressed to them with the letter from The Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin, where the Mayor thanked everybody for coming to the capital, for having a desire to make a productive discussion, create a unique position and strategy on the tasks raised at the Congress.

The Congress themes are up to date without any doubts. To reveal to tourism potential of Moscow all the participants will get to know the last achievements of the capital concerning the city space planning, development of the tour product in order to show and promote traditional and new tourist opportunities in Moscow. The guests will be offered to join the tours, seminars and round tables, to agree on the law basement of the protection of the guide-interpreters (tour guides) professional interests. The participants will also discuss the problems of preserving the national and regional professional identification.

The Congress guests have visited the new exhibition in The Cathedral of Christ The Savior "The Art Treasures of Russia". They were truly amazed when saw the highlights of the Russian greatest artists, which have never been much shown to the public. The guests expressed a big surprise how well the paintings are preserved, in spite of the fact they passed through many wars and troubles and of course showed their big respect to those museum employees who managed to save this great heritage for the future generations.

The Government of Moscow, which supports carrying this event, also makes all round help to the companies working in the incoming tourism market and helps holding the introductory tours, workshops and classes in Moscow for all the foreign partners who want to visit the capital of Russia on their own.

The Association of Guides-Interpreters, Tour Guides and Tour Managers which is the oldest professional union in the Russian tourism industry is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It was created in 1990 and already in 1991 became a member of World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations ( WFTGA). In 1992 it was included in The European Tourist Guide Federation (FEG). Giving much attention to the high professional level The Association is putting all the efforts to provide it so that the accredited guides would meet the requirements, standards and skills of the profession.

The European Tourist Guide Federation (FEG) was founded in 1986 in Paris and unites more than 80 thousand professionals from 20 countries, its members. The Federation aims to defend the high level of qualification , professional skills and regional competency as basic values of the profession and also to protect tourism from political involvement.

19.11.15 Moscow
The International Conference of the guides-interpreters and tour guides under the name "About the development of tourist services" is being held as a part of The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress
Today, on the November 19th 2015 as a part of The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress carried out with the support of The Department of The National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the City of Moscow, takes place the International Conference of the guides-interpreters and tour guides under the name "About the development of tourist services".
The Conference was opened by the first deputy of the head of The Department of The National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the City of Moscow Sergey Shpilko. The Presidents of The European Federation of The Associations of Guides (FEG) Carlos Ortega and of Russian Association of Guides-Interpreters, Tour Guides and Tour Managers Alexander Osipov addressed the participants with welcoming words.
They both marked the significance and timeliness of The Congress, the positive aspiration of the guides to professional communication, the importance of the profession for the success of the whole tour product and necessity of the highest qualification.
The first deputy of the head of The Department of The National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the City of Moscow Sergey Shpilko talked about the need to form the tourist product according to the modern market demands, he emphasized the development of the tourist programs and variety in planning of the tourist routes.
During The Conference its participants discussed a lot of important questions in the sphere of the tourist services. They raised the topics of intercommunication of the authorities, tour business and social associations to form and promote new tour programs. The coordination of the professionals of the tour industry with the museum and scientific society in the universities in order to realize educational programs about the incoming tourism also was discussed. Much time was devoted to the law based aspects of the profession, the participants interchanged the experience about the training and improving the qualification of the guide-interpreters and the tour guides. Even during debates the atmosphere was very friendly and positive.
The International conference involved over 100 participants who discussed the important questions in the field of tourist-excursion service. Concerns were raised regarding the interaction between the authorities, tourist industry and public associations with the purpose of formation and promotion of new tour programs and package tours. For example, Svetlana Mrathuzina, Executive Director of NP "Guild of tour guides", spoke about new popular tourist facilities of the Republic of Tatarstan, and Elena Belousova, Deputy Executive Director of NP "Association of international integration in tourism "World without borders", made a report "New markets based on the perception of information for tourists from China".
The coordination of interaction of professionals in the tourism industry, Museum and scientific community in universities on the implementation of educational programs in terms of incoming tourism had been discussed. In the framework of the session of the International conference Alexander Yandovsky, rector of the Institute named after Sienkiewicz, made his proposals to ensure a high level of the content of sightseeing-awareness and educational programs.
There were presentations on the topic of legal aspects of guide-interpreters and tour guides work and sharing international and regional experiences in training and improving their skills. Yuri Barzykin, Vice-President of the Russian Union of travel industry proposed to discuss issues of regulation and self-regulation of activity of guides-interpreters, and Jozsef Shnidgen, honorary President of AGPTM, spoke about the development of the bill about the mandatory certification.
The Conference was concluded by Alexander Osipov, President of the Association of guides interpreters, tour guides and tour managers. He thanked the participants for their participation, suggestions and providing a friendly atmosphere reigned at the Conference.



23.11.2015 Moscow

The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress has finished in Moscow.

The 17th European Tourist Guide Congress came to an end on 22nd of November in Moscow. It was carried out by The Department of National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the city of Moscow. The Congress united in Moscow more than 300 guests from all over the world to exchange experience and show the huge possibilities of the city of capital of Russia.

The Congress was attended by guides of 32 countries, heads of international organizations in the field of tourism. Russia and the CIS countries were represented by 118 specialists from 28 regions. Traditionally, the Congress included a General session, panel discussions, workshops, master classes and a series of receptions and excursions aimed to show tourist opportunities of Moscow to delegates from 32 countries in Europe.

The head of The Department of National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the city of Moscow Vladimir Chernikov noticed in his interview: "The new tour routs appear, there are new excursion sites and public spaces which deserve our attention. We would like more young people to come to Moscow, that's why we put a focus on the 'visual' program."

Much attention was paid to the provision of quality services of guides and interpreters. József Snidgen, honorary President of the Association of guides-interpreters, tour guides and tour managers, said: "We feel the growing interest to the profession. Nearly 1,150 people has been trained in training coordination center "tour Guides" in Moscow over the past five years.90 people more has been recruted to study in 2015-2016. It is important that, finally, there were contenders with rare languages, such as Hebrew, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese".

Some internal Russian problems were also discussed at the Congress. So, on November 19th, the Department of national policy, interregional relations and tourism of Moscow held an International guides conference "On improving the system of tourist and excursion service". It was attended by representatives of authorities of Russian regions, heads of museums, tourist companies and public organizations. Also the first deputy of the head of The Department of National Policy, Inter-Regional Relations and Tourism of the city of Moscow Sergey Shpilko addressed to the participants with the welcoming speech. Important factors in the development of domestic and inbound tourism, the experience and world tendencies of development of excursions were discussed. Also attention was paid to such a vital topic as the " safety of tourists in megapolises".

The guests of The Congress were offered a wide excursion program. They made a river trip, visited the historical part of the city. They could feel the wonderful atmosphere of our city walking along the Arbat street, around Kitay-Gorod district and other beautiful places. The participants were inspired by views of the embankments of the Moscow River, panoramic view from the Sparrow Hills and by the quiet dignity of The New Maidens Convent.

A very special impression the guests got after visiting the exhibition in The Cathedral of Christ The Savior "The Art Treasures of Russia". They were truly amazed when saw the highlights of the Russian greatest artists, which have never been much shown to the public. The guests expressed a big surprise how well the paintings are preserved, in spite of the fact they passed through many wars and troubles and of course showed their big respect to those museum employees who managed to save this great heritage for the future generations.

The visit to the Cosmonautics Museum also has left a nice impression, the guests could practically touch the history of the space exploration! The participants expressed a big desire to come back to Moscow and bring to get to know the history of our great capital.

The president of The European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) Carlos Ortega mentioned the tourist attraction of Moscow and then said: "When we left the plane, we were surrounded by care and attention. But that's not the most important. We were so much impressed by Moscow."