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Hokkaido Adventure Travel Guide Certification System: An Official Scheme for Professional Adventure Travel Guides in Hokkaido
Overview
The Hokkaido Adventure Travel Guide certification system is an official scheme for professional adventure travel guides administrated by the Hokkaido Government since 2023.
This system was designed to develop adventure travel guides in Hokkaido who meet international standards and to welcome travelers from around the world.
In designing the system, reference was made to the Adventure Travel Guide Standard (ATGS), an internationally recognized standard for guides developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Certification Categories
The Hokkaido Government certifies guides under the following ten categories.
[Activity guide categories]
● Mountaineering
● Nature Guiding
● Canoeing
● Rafting
● Trail Riding
● Cycling
● Backcountry Skiing
● Sidecountry Skiing
● Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
[Tour support category]
● Through Guide (see below)
The role of Through Guides
“Through Guide” is a certification category for guides who accompany adventure travel guests throughout the entire journey.
They are not only experts in English-language guiding with deep knowledge of Hokkaido, but also responsible for customer management and the coordination of multiple stakeholders involved in the tour, including travel agencies, activity guides, local partners, and tour participants.
Requirements for Certified Guides
To ensure a safe and comfortable experience for adventure travel visitors to Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Government requires certified guides to meet the following requirements.
- Valid qualifications demonstrating competency in each skill
(Hokkaido Outdoor Guide Qualification or equivalent or higher qualification*)
- Valid qualifications proving advanced lifesaving skill
(e.g., Advanced First Aid course provided by the Japanese Red Cross, WAFA, etc.)
In addition, the Hokkaido Government promotes the continuous development of guides who meet international standards and seeks to enhance the quality of tourism by encouraging guides to obtain qualifications in areas such as foreign languages, sustainability, safety management, and customer management.
The Government also provides training opportunities to support the acquisition of these skills.
