MVA welcomes newly certified tour guides

The Marianas Guide Training graduates from Century Tours receive their certificates at the Marianas Visitors Office yesterday. They are surrounded by MVA managing director Chris Concepcion, left, MVA deputy managing director Judy Torres, right, and Tour guide certification manager Kuen-Hee Han. (Bea Cabrera)

The Marianas Visitors Authority has welcomed a new batch of individuals yesterday who successfully completed the Marianas Guide Training at the Northern Marianas College early this month.

Nine individuals from Century Tours that will cater to Chinese tourists received their certification after 20 hours of class instruction that included CNMI history, CNMI geography, CNMI rules and regulations, principles of tour guiding/tour operations, tour guide customer service, tour guide safety and security, protecting the environment, and CNMI culture and legends.

Miao Wang, one of the graduates of the Marianas Guide Training, said that she has been living on Saipan for 18 years, but the training made her realize there is more to learn about the islands.

“I used to work at DFS and working in the tourism industry is not really new to me but this is definitely a new and exciting challenge. Today, we got our tour guide license badge and I am happy to be a part of the Century Tours family,” she said.

“The training helped me know a lot of information about Saipan, Tinian, and Rota because our responsibility is to give the right and correct information to the tourists. The learning does not stop after the training because I plan to continue to study more about the islands,” she added.

MVA managing director Chris Concepcion is very grateful that the tour guide certification classes have been rolling out as planned.

“We are happy that the tour guides have been coming into the program, into the system, getting registered and certified so that they will be able to provide the quality experience that our tourists deserve and expect when they come to the Marianas,” he said.

“Aside from Century Tours, many tour guide operators are getting certified such as PMT, Tasi Tours group, Hana Tour, Mode Tour, STI, and many others. A lot of them are certified and some of them are registered and waiting for their turn at NMC,” he added.

Classes began in October 2017 and currently classes are conducted four days a week, five hours a day,

“NMC has a full complement of excellent instructors who we are confident will help raise the caliber of tour guides in the Marianas and, in doing so, help build upon our reputation as a premiere destination.” Concepcion said.

“NMC and MVA will definitely continue to work closely tog to further the objectives of the program,” he added.

The Marianas Guide Training certification is valid for three years unless revoked or suspended, but the badge would need to be renewed every year.