Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) presents an updated certification program to the Professional Standards Tour Certification Program originally established in 1993 by the Hawai‘i State Tourism Training Council in collaboration with KCC faculty and staff. This certification recognizes that a professional tour guide has met the required knowledge, skills, and competencies that align with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s Professional Standards (view document here). This program is sanctioned by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and KCC owns all copyright on developed curriculum and materials.
In order to obtain a Certification for Hawai‘i’s Professional Tour Guides, you must successfully complete a two-part exam.
We recommended the following training path for tour guides to prepare for the certification exam.
Introduction to Hawai’i’s Visitor Industry
2 hours
For those who are new to Hawai‘i’s tourism and hospitality industry. More here
Ho'okipa Me Ke Aloha
8 hours
A culture-rich learning experience based on Hawaiian language and culture, this course is designed for participants to develop an appreciation for our host culture and traditions while servicing visitors from around the globe. More here
Communicating With Impact
8 hours
Enhance important communication skills such as interpretation and storytelling when sharing stories about Hawai‘i. Design customized and engaging tours for your visitors. More here
Certification Exam
4 hours
A rigorous two-part exam that assesses your knowledge of the courses listed above and requires you to design and deliver an Island specific custom tour. More here
Servicing the Global Customer
6 hours
Hawai‘i is known as a “dream travel destination” for people from all over the globe. Learn to demonstrate cultural awareness and appropriate customer service standards when dealing with diverse customers. More here
Foundations of Hawai'i
8 hours
Lucky we live Hawai’i! Many of us welcome friends, family, colleagues and visitors from all over the world to our island paradise. But, how much do we really know about our host culture? More here
Know Your Island: Oahu
4 hours
How much do we really know about the island we call “home”? Learn to share accurate information and stories about our island’s unique history and significance with your guests, visitors and/or customers. More here
Am I eligible to pursue certification?
You must provide proof and/or verification of the following:
• Current employment with a licensed Hawai‘i tour company
• Or documentation showing ownership of a licensed Hawai‘i tour company
How long is the certification exam?
Certification Exam Registration
**There will be NO refunds on a failed examination.
What are the exam expectations?
- Part 1-Take and pass the knowledge exam with a minimum 75% score
- Part 2-Design, deliver and pass a sample tour with a minimum 75% score
What is the best way to prepare for the exam?
How long is the certification valid?
Are there funding opportunities for my certification?
FAQs
- What is the Certification for Hawaiʻi Professional Tour Guides program about?
This certification program is a collaboration between Kapi‘olani Community College and visitor industry professionals. It is based on service industry standards for “Ambassadors of Aloha”, which were updated in conjunction with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. This certification recognizes that a tour guide has met the required knowledge, skills and competencies that align with these standards.
The training pathway to prepare for the certification exam is the Certificate for Customer Service in Hawai‘i program. In addition to learning about Hawaiian history, language and culture, participants will enhance their communication and storytelling skills, and learn to effectively service our community and global customers.
- Who should attend this training program?
This certification program is open to employees who are currently employed in Hawai‘i’s tour industry and are interested in honing their tour guiding and customer service skills. This program is also recommended for individuals interested in pursuing careers in tour-related industries, tour businesses owners (self-employed), and individuals interested in professional development training for reskilling/retooling purposes.
- I am not currently working in the visitor or tour-related industries. Can I still register for the program for my own interests?
Absolutely! All continuing education and training programs/classes offered by Kapi‘olani Community College are open to any interested learner in the community.
- I am not currently employed, but I am interested in pursuing a career in the visitor or tour-related industries someday. Can I still register for the program?
Absolutely! All continuing education and training programs/classes offered by Kapi‘olani Community College are open to any interested learner in our community. Also, this program will help prepare you with the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in the visitor and tour-related industries. Our recommendation? Take steps to hone and update your skills…stay ahead of the game!
- I’m only interested in taking one or two classes for my own interests. Can I do that?
Absolutely! All continuing education and training programs/classes offered by Kapi‘olani Community College are open to any interested learner in our community. Please contact kccocet@hawaii.edu for more info.
- Do you offer this program online?
Absolutely! All continuing education and training programs/classes offered by Kapiolani Community College are available online.
- What are the attendance requirements?
Learners who register for the Certificate for Customer Service in Hawai‘i program and are interested in obtaining their tour guide certification are required to attend at least 80% of the classes during the entire training program.
- How do I obtain the Certification for Hawaiʻi Professional Tour Guides?
The training pathway to prepare for the certification exam is the Certificate for Customer Service in Hawai‘i program. Learners interested in obtaining their certification are required to:
- Attend at least 80% of the classes during the entire training program, and
- Successfully completing the two-part exam by achieving at least a 75% passing score
- What are the exam requirements?
The certification exam is given in two parts. Part I is an online knowledge exam consisting of questions from the Certificate for Customer Service in Hawai‘i training program. Candidates must achieve at least 75% on Part I before moving onto Part II of the exam. Part II consists of creating and verbally delivering a sample tour based on assigned elements. Learned knowledge and skills from the Certificate for Customer Service in Hawai‘i program are expected to be incorporated into this verbal part of the exam. Tours will then be reviewed and scored. A sample of the evaluation for the verbal exam will be distributed in class.
- How will I know whether I achieved the Certification for Hawaii Professional Tour Guides?
Candidates must achieve a passing score of at least 75% on their certification exam to receive their official certificate and pin. Candidates will be notified of their score and will receive their certificate by mail within 6-8 weeks of the exam date.
- I’m not sure if this program is right for me. Can I test out a class first?
Absolutely! All continuing education and training programs/classes offered by Kapi‘olani Community College are open for enrollment and registration to any interested learner in the community. Registration for the program is required. Should you decide that the program is not the right fit, we will provide a refund according to our stated refund policy.
- Is this program support by Employment Training Funds (ETF)?
Yes, ETF funds are available to employers for this training program. Please see requirements and eligibility criteria on the ETF website.
- Is this training program only available at Kapi‘olani Community College?
This training program is offered at Hawai‘i Community College, Kauai Community College, Kapi‘olani Community College and Maui College.
- Who endorses this program?
This program is supported by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. They also assisted with updating the “Professional Service Standards for Ambassadors of Aloha”.
The Ho‘okipa Me Ke Aloha classes have made a difference in the level of customer service with our transportation company. We were very fortunate to collaborate and design a customized hospitality course with KCC. The course stressed the employee’s role or “kuleana” in the JTB organization or “ohana”, and the role of the specific company, such as Travel Plaza Transportation. The focus on their role instilled in them pride in their company and in themselves. That pride in turn enhanced their performance in giving good customer service which in turn increased the number of compliments and reduced the number of complaints The instructor’s expertise in Hawaiian culture and language is outstanding. His desire to share information is contagious and our staff have used his “stories” to share with their customers, which in turn creates an enjoyable experience for our visitors.
All components of the (State of Hawai‘i Certification for Tour Drivers and Guides) training were well organized and extremely relevant. I was particularly impressed with the knowledge and teaching skills of Ms. Jaime (Uluwehi) Hopkins, although all instructors were good. I learned a lot from Ms. Hopkins who provided excellent insights into Hawaiian language and culture.