Certification from the Utah Tour Guide Association through the Certified Utah Tour Guide Program indicates that guides have received basic training in skills and knowledge. Beyond basic training, this certification program ensures guides continue to learn and hone their knowledge and skills to continuously improve their craft as a tour guide.

How to Achieve Certification

How to Maintain Certification

  • Earn a minimum of 8 credits annually
  • Maintain standards and ethics of the industry

How to Earn Credits

At least three credits each year must be earned by attending an official UTGA event. Other credits for the year may be earned by participating in an event, program, or activity that helps you gain knowledge and skills that will help you be a better tour guide. These include:

  • Attending industry conferences and conventions including but not limited to:
    • National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations NFTGA
    • World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations WFTGA
    • International Tour Management Institute ITMI
    • International Association of Tour Directors & Guides IATDG
    • TripSchool
  • Gaining certifications and training in first aid and CPR, food handlers permit, chauffeurs/taxi endorsement, etc.
  • Museum lectures at local and state museums including by not limited to
  • Educational events, hands-on experiences, specialty lectures, or classes at tourist destinations including ranger programs or educational events at state or national parks, and other places such as This Is the Place Heritage Park, American West Heritage Center, Tracy Aviary, Hogle Zoo, Thanksgiving Point, etc.
    • If these are recurring events, they would only count for credits the first time you are experiencing them. For example, if you have never been to Christkindlmrkt at This Is the Place Heritage Park, then going for the first time would be a valuable experience in order to talk about it with guests, encourage guests to attend, or even take guests there in the future. However, if you go every year, then it would only count for credit the first time.
  • Tours and FAM tours organized through Visit Salt Lake, Utah Tourism Industry Association, Utah Office of Tourism, Preservation Utah, etc.
  • Community lectures or tours presented by experts of a topic offered through educational institutions, municipalities, preservation societies, historical societies, other special interest groups including Preservation Utah, Utah State Historic Preservation Office, etc.
    • Again, in order to count for credit toward certification, these should be events that add to your knowledge or skills as a tour guide in the areas you are working.
  • Reading books applicable to knowledge a guide may use to improve their tours including content and skills. (list of recommended reading)

To earn credits, members must submit an online form that records the details of the activity including date, time, speaker or presenter, and hosting organization, as well as a brief summary of the event and the skills or knowledge gained. For books, use the title of the book as the activity name and the author’s name as the presenter, speaker, or teacher. For UTGA Events, members do not need to submit the form as long as their attendance is recorded by the Secretary (or member designated by Secretary). If there are any questions or concerns about your report or the activity reported, you will be contacted by a UTGA Officer or designated volunteer.

Certified Utah Tour Guide Credit Reporting Form

Maintaining and Losing Certification

A guide must earn at least 8 points each year to maintain their certification. If a guide lapses in their certification by not achieving and maintaining enough points each year, that guide must remove the designation from their resume, CV, website, tour listings, and other materials, or they will lose their membership in UTGA and may face other action.

A certified guide may petition this penalty if a hardship has prevented them from maintaining the necessary points for their certification. This may be due to illness, bereavement or care of a family member, personal or business tragedy. That guide will work with the UTGA certification manager on restoring certification in a time and manner that befits the situation.

In the event that an Organizational Member does not renew their membership, any employees that earned their certification through that membership will have the opportunity to become Professional Members in order to maintain the certification title. Otherwise, those guides must stop using the designation of “Certified Utah Tour Guide.”