What is a Blue Badge Tourist Guide?
The Blue Badge is the UK's highest guiding qualification. Blue Badge Tourist Guides are trained under the auspices of The Institute of Tourist Guiding, which accredits training courses throughout England. Most training courses for guides last for at least two academic terms and some, for example London, last for nearly two years. Because of their rigorous site-specific training and examinations Blue Badge Tourist Guides are the only external guides permitted to guide inside sites such as Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Windsor Castle.