This is an initiative of the World Federation of Tourist Guides Association (WFTGA) started in 1990 to create a global awareness of the key role the tourist guide plays in the broader industry. Professor Karen Harris of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies was invited to address the proceedings on the research that is being undertaken at UP as part of a MoU with NDT. Prof Harris delivered a report on the “Harmonization of Training Standards for the Tourist Guides in the SADC region”. This forms part of a larger two-year project entitled “Harmonization of Tourist Guide Training Regulations and Standards in Southern Africa”. This research is being conducted with chief researcher Mr Richard Wyllie, a masters student in Heritage and Cultural Studies and other post-graduate students in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies.