MAKKAH: A batch of 33 trainees have graduated as Makkah tour guides after they completed a training program through the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), the Saudi Press Agency reported. The tour guide training was carried out in cooperation with the National Center for Human Resources Development. The training aimed to prepare them for a successful career in the tourism and hospitality industries, improve standards across the region, and introduce discipline and rigor in presenting research and information to visitors. “The graduates received training from guides specialized in Makkah’s historic landmarks,” said the director-general of SCTH Makkah, Hisham Madani. He said the SCTH offered an “enriching experience” to trainees, and looked forward to improving the sector in order to welcome tourists from around the world. Earlier, the SCTH branch in Madinah organized two tour guide training sessions. Specialists introduced trainees to the methods used to guide people through historical sites, museums and landmarks in Madinah, and to explain their significance.