Independent People: A gem of local knowledge

An Athlone woman has become the first Midlands president of the Association of Approved Tourist Guides of Ireland (AATGI), an organisation that aims to promote Ireland's best assets through the use of local tourist guides. Barbara Hunter came to her current much-loved profession of tour guiding after a number of years spent on the academic side of the tourism industry. She's well-known to many parents and indeed young adults, for having run sports summer camps locally as well as working in Athlone IT's tourism and leisure department when it was a regional technical college. A past-pupil of St Joseph's College Summerhill, Barbara said she loved school and had an interest in travelling from a young age. She left her college job 14 years ago, to study for a post-grad degree in tourism in DIT and Trinity College. Through her studies, Barbara worked closely with a number of rural tourism providers, to identify and develop good service. She further developed her rural tourism studies working in six EU countries and then with the Rural Development Unit of Teagasc, which focused on how well the industry integrated into the rural economy. “I think it did make a difference,†said Barbara. “It fed into government and also EU policy but it also kept in with people on the ground, so that someone in Brideswell could understand what we were doing.†Three years ago Barbara then made a natural progression into tour guiding. She took the Fáilte Ireland training programme, where trainee guides learn a huge wealth of information about Irish life, from archeology to politics, architecture to 'phisogs'. Barbara said good guides have to be “personable, adaptable, friendly, and need to stay calmâ€. “You have to inform visitors and allow them to get their take on it,†she said. “You share the information in an open and objective way.†Barbara joined the Association, a voluntary organisation 33 years in existence, when she became a professional (and self-employed) tour guide. She is excited about her year as president, passionate about promoting tourism and the importance of tour guiding. The Midlands region, she said, is part of the “real Ireland†she loves tourists to see but is an “untapped resourceâ€. “So many capital cities have the same look, the same shops. It's personal guiding that will bring our culture and guiding to the fore,†she said. “That gem we have is our landscape.†She also thinks that the growing foodie culture is “turning tourism on its head†and that local artisan activity can help attract tourists to an area. When asked where would she bring visitors to the Midlands over two or three days, Barbara reels off a list of highlights: Clonfert Bog in Shannonbridge, Boora Bog, Clonmacnoise, the long loop walk at Killinure, Goldsmith Country and Skelly's pub in Ballymahon. She added that the Ballymahon canal is a lovely development, while in Athlone a history tour of streets like Northgate, Southgate and Watergate would interest many. “It's all about context, a lot of our good stuff is outdoors and that's a challenge,†she added. “Traditional pubs, music and food is still popular.†She also thinks that tourism is key to dragging Ireland out of this recession. “Tourism is definitely our trump card going forward, it's our last straw. With more people staying at home, we can extend our season,†she said. “Our target is now the domestic market. The British market is up and the Germans are coming back. The French are slowly coming back and the US too.†She added that with so many flights coming into Dublin, and so many tours then heading west, Athlone could be the ideal stop for busloads of tourists and a local guide would have local knowledge of good coffee shops or restaurants. “I always stop in Ballinahown because it's just off the M6,†she added, praising how well the village has developed. “If local tourism providers put it out there that there are professional guides available who can manage the tour, give the tour leadership and bring the client to the best spots, it benefits everyone... Businesses can pull guides in off the M6 and get people into the town to see the castle.†However, she stressed that promoting rural tourism needs balance, so that an attraction is not over-developed or spoiled. “We have to keep everything authentic, it's all we have left,†she added. The AATGI not only formalises the guiding fraternity but also provides a very critical service in the whole tourist experience. The organisation ensures that all registered guides, between 250 to 300 of them, are trained and approved, then helps them continue their professional development. Most of the guides are self-employed. “We would attract quite a membership base from all of Ireland. There are national, regional, local and specialist guiding services, the guides can also have a language and special interests. We're catering to all the demographics,†explained Barbara. It's a flexible job and the season usually runs from March to September. As well as rural tours, Barbara also leads walking tours of Dublin and accompanies performing arts groups who travel to Ireland for various events. The AATGI website www.tourguides.ie also provides a 'find a guide' service where people can request guides based on location, length of time and special interests. Guides can be booked directly by a tour before they reach Ireland or they can be booked by a local accommodation provider or business for day trips. A tourism provider or business person can also contact the guides directly and ask them to bring tourists to their outlet, like a stop-off in a coffee shop while en route. The association also produces between 30-40,000 booklets which are sent to the main tour operators worldwide but mainly the UK, Europe and North America. And it's no surprise to hear that being a tour guide is a fulfilling job for Barbara, who's keen to promote the Association this year. “Seeing people's reaction to the Ring of Kerry or Clonfert Bog in Shannonbridge, it's beautiful. You do feel proud, I love the rural experience, I love what I do,†said Barbara.