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.logo_container, h1.logo, h1.logo a {height: 100px;} Home - WashingTours and
Events
WashingTours and Events
 * About Us
   * About WashingTours
   * Videos
   * Testimonial Videos
   * About Maricar Donato
   * Our Clients
 * Guide Training
   * Professional Tour Guide Training Program
   * Seminars and Workshops
   * Recommended Books
   * Study Guide
 * Events
   * Serbia 2021
   * Sept. 20, 2018 - Embassy of Georgia
   * Information Sessions
   * Event Registration
 * Contact Us
 * Georgia 2019

 * About Us
    * About WashingTours
    * Videos
    * Testimonial Videos
    * About Maricar Donato
    * Our Clients

 * Guide Training
    * Professional Tour Guide Training Program
    * Seminars and Workshops
    * Recommended Books
    * Study Guide

 * Events
    * Serbia 2021
    * Sept. 20, 2018 - Embassy of Georgia
    * Information Sessions
    * Event Registration

 * Contact Us
 * Georgia 2019



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WELCOME




Touching the imagination, inspiring, and connecting you to the rich stories and
history of our Nation’s Capital, WashingTours & Events brings Washington D.C. to
life for you, your clients, and guests. Based in Washington D.C. WashingTours &
Events offers multilingual cultural and themed tours; culture, communication,
and event management workshops; and a professional tour guide training program.
WashingTours & Events is a member of the Guild of Professional Tourist Guides of
Washington D.C. International Events Society, Cultural Tourism DC and
Destination DC. We invite you to contact us and look forward to serving you.



PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TRAINING PROGRAM

Maricar's WashingTours & Events offers an intensive, 50 hour tour guide training
program to up-level the skills of any tour guide and provides supplemental
two-hour study sessions and study guide focused on Washington, D.C. area
attractions.
Learn More


SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Maricar's WashingTours & Events offers several full day and half day seminars
and workshops. To inquire about a specific seminar or workshop click below
Learn More


VIDEO TESTIMONIALS

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MARICAR DONATO FEATURED IN THE WASHINGTON POST

"It started, as it often does, when the DC Nation Tours bus passed Trump
International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House. A many-accented
murmur of curiosity was followed by a shouted question from a Peruvian visitor
in the back."
Click Here Read More

Tour guide Maricar Donato speaks about the Marquis de Lafayette in D.C.’s
Lafayette Square on July 5, 2018.

Click Here Read More


JOIN US IN SERBIA 2021

Click Here


GUILD’S 2019 JILL BLAKEMAN AWARD WINNER

Jill Blakeman (aka Guide of the Year) Award 2019 was given to Maricar Donato for
her contributions in advancing the guiding profession


> “I nominate Maricar for this prestigious award based on her continuing and
> long-term impact on the guiding profession both in Washington, DC and
> internationally. She has personally trained literally hundreds of guides who
> have served or are currently serving as profession tour guides in the
> Washington, DC area. In doing so she has led the effort to have a more
> professional tour guide membership for The Guild.  She actively promotes The
> Guild to all of her students, to ensure their continued professional
> development as tour guides.
> In addition, Maricar has for a number of years been active involved with the
> World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (also referred to as WFTGA).
> She has been recognized by WFTGA as an internationally accredited trainer of
> tour guides, as an area representative, and in 2017 she was recognized as
> WFTGA’s first brand ambassador.
> Maricar exemplifies the truly professional tour guide both in Washington, DC
> and around the world.” 

It started in March and ended in May when Maricar took care of Francoise Kameni
Lele who was on her way home to Yaounde, Cameroon. This was only possible due to
o the unselfish work of an unemployed tour guide by the name of Maricar Donato
from Washington DC, Mistral Anampa from Maryland,  David Herb and Clara Sachs
from New Jersey, USA.

COVID-19  cannot destroy the commitment by a true leader in the travel and
tourism industry. These true leaders are tour guides and members of the World
Federation of Tourist Guide Associations. (WFTGA), eTurboNews declared them as
eTN heroes. Watch the video on why.

The story is the story of a stranded tourist from Cameroon by the name Francoise
Kameni Lele.  She is also a member of the travel and tourism industry and an
ambassador for the African Tourism Board  (ATB) in Cameroon.  It all started
when she left Cameroon to Berlin, Germany.

She was planning to attend the ITB travel exhibition and a March 4 meeting
organized by ATB, PATA and SaferTourism and this publication. Ironically the
meeting was organized to discuss the impact of Coronavirus on travel and
tourism.

ITB was canceled and ever since Francoise was unable to find her way back home
to Cameroon. She left for New York, back to Frankfurt, again to New York, and is
finally now onboard a B787 Dreamliner ET509 to Addis Ababa. It was a horrifying
experience, but she has a new best friend, who is an un-selfish tour guide in
Washington DC and now an eTN hero by the name of Maricar Donato.

Maricar told eTurboNews today: “What Francoise told me today really grabbed me
and will do so for a long time. She said: If not for your help I would have
committed suicide.”

Tourism is an industry of peace and friendship. No one knows this more as Louis
D’Amore, president and founder of the International Institute for Peace Through
Tourism.  Calling from his home in New York he said:

“I was very sorry to learn of the many difficulties Francois had to endure as a
result of the Pandemic. I have known Francois for more than 20 years. Francoise
always selflessly has been giving herself to contribute to the greater good of
African Tourism. It is heartwarming to learn how tourism guides of different
ethnicity and faiths came together to assist Francois in her time of need –
demonstrating the true spirit of hospitality and the fundamental principle of
all faiths “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and, on
reflection as a Christian during this fifth week of Easter, “Love one another as
I have loved you.”

Today Francoise Kameni Lele finally left Newark, New Jersey on a flight onboard
Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa. She is finally on her way home to Yaounde in
Cameroon.

A week earlier Maricar posted to her Facebook saying: “Delivered some goodies
from the local tourist guide community to Cameroon’s top guide, François Kameni,
who is stranded here unable to get home from a conference. Maricar Donato, area
representative, and coordinator of the World Federation of Tourist Guide
Associations has been spearheading the effort to help out our fellow guide.

François is also VP of the African baseball confederation so I had to take her
to the youth academy and Nats Park. It was a good exercise and a fun day.

Francoise was caught in the midst of countries closing borders and unable to
return home as scheduled more than 2 months ago. Her attempt to leave was cut
short at Frankfurt International Airport when she was refused transit to France
to catch a flight to Cameroon and sent back to the United States.

After arriving in the U.S. one hotel after another Francoise stayed in closed
when the virus spread aggressively in New York. She left for Washington DC
hoping also to get help from her embassy.

When eTurboNews published her story eTN Reader Maricar Donato reached out to
Francoise in her role as the brand ambassador of the World Federation of Tourist
Guide Associations. (WFTGA)

There was no paying guide business for self-employed Maricar, but it didn’t stop
her to use her own money and time to help a fellow member of the travel and
tourism industry.  With hotels closed she organized a basement room at a
Cameroon-American member of her community for Francoise.

Today WFTGA tour guides Mistral Anampa from Maryland,  David Herb and Clara
Sachs from New Jersey drove Francoise from Washington DC to Newark International
Airport in New Jersey. Together with a representative of the Embassy of Cameroon
in the USA, they made sure Francoise checked in and boarded her flight to
Africa.

Her farewell text to eTurboNews said: “Jürgen, I’m at the boarding gate and on
my way back home. COVID19 will Nevers stop tourism. The sky is your limit.”

There is a very sad part to this incredible story. The host for Francoise
organized by Maricar recently passed away on complications due to COVID-19


GUILD’S 2019 JILL BLAKEMAN AWARD WINNER


MARICAR DONATO, WASHINGTON DC USA

Maricar is a brand ambassador for the World Federation of Tourist Guide
Association and based in the US Capital City Washington DC.

She also runs Washington Tours & Events

She explains about herself: I work as a multilingual tourist guide and tourism
director. I have been appointed as the first Global Brand Ambassador of the
World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations. I’m also an Area Representative
Coordinator and an International Trainer for tourist guides. Have a Masters
Degree on Tourism Administration from the George Washington University in 1993.
I am based in Washington, DC since 1984 and live 2 months of the year in Manila
where I teach at DeLaSalle Universities.

The impact of the role of a tourist guide in rebuilding travel is an ongoing
task and requires a lot of concentrated focus and dedication. Joining forums
like this enables one to share and receive stories from others and get to
understand the value of a tourist guide in the tourism chain. I love listening
to Dr Taleb Rifai and Dr Peter Tarlow and the other speakers that speak from a
lot of experience and authenticity.

If anyone should be recognized as a tourism hero due to the COVID-19 situation,
it has to be Maricar.











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