International Tourist Guide Day 2006

The Canadian Tour Guide Association of Toronto celebrated International Tourist Guide Day 2006 by providing a program of free coach tours to local residents and visitors. Walking tours of the immediate neighbourhood were also offered. We held our event on March 21, 2006 as we could anticipate better weather on that day than we could on February 21, the date when International Tourist Guide Day is usually observed.

We were pleased and proud to have several local tour operators/destination management companies, local tourist attractions and five coach companies among our sponsors for the day as well as the City of Toronto and Tourism Toronto.

The City of Toronto gave us the use of the rotunda of Metro Hall, a city office tower located in the Entertainment District (theatres, symphony, restaurants), as our centre of activities. From here we dispatched enthusiastic participants on their coach and walking tours after they had an opportunity to view the several exhibits set up by our sponsors for this event and by CTGA in the rotunda.

Originally expected to depart hourly from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, the tours were so popular and our visitors so enthusiastic that we were dispatching coaches much more frequently. Members of the association enjoyed giving their guests a short but thorough tour of the neighbourhoods of the downtown core including the Entertainment District, the Old Town of York (our oldest neighbourhood), the Financial District, the shopping areas around and including the Eaton Centre, the City Hall area and University Avenue, Queen's Park, the University of Toronto, Chinatown and Harbourfront.

When the day was over, members were gratified that it had turned out so well and the free tours had been so well received. Our guests had fun and enjoyed their tours. We, in turn, were confident that we had done a good job of raising our profile as tour guides among the general population and made them more aware of what we do as guides. We also made them aware of the purposes and programs of CTGA of Toronto and of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.

Our first group of many are about to board a coach for their free tour of downtown Toronto. Click here to see many more and larger photos of our free tour program for International Tourist Guide Day 2006.

The rotunda of Metro Hall was filled with exhibits, many by our sponsors, others such as the one above by us. This one features photos of some of our educational events for tour guides held over the years. Would you like to see more photos?