Just ask your friendly attendant
Caltex garages to buzz with ‘tourism ambassadors’
TRAVELLING and sightseeing is fun but can be torturous if one cannot find the right directions or fun places to visit.
To help tourists and travellers with this, the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) has trained 63 petrol attendants based in Caltex garages to be customer service agents.
The 63 agents who are based in Mthatha, Komga, Queenstown, Graaff-Reinet, Jeffreys Bay and Cape St Francis, were taken to tourist attractions in their respective areas so as to equip them with tourism information they could give to travellers.
All participants volunteered to be part of the project.
ECPTA spokeswoman Nopasika Mxunyelwa said the initiative was aimed at training the petrol attendants to become tourism ambassadors.
“ECPTA came up with the initiative after noting that where tourism offices are not visible or easily accessible, people tend to ask petrol attendants for directions and this was identified as an opportunity to create easily accessible tourism ambassadors.
“In September, as part of our Tourism Month celebrations, the Caltex petrol attendants who participated in the training, will wear branded bibs over their uniform and will have relevant tourism information and maps that they will hand out to any interested motorists,” Mxunyelwa explained.
One of the attendants at Komani’s Caltex, Siphokazi May, said she “thoroughly” enjoyed learning about Komani and its surrounding areas.
“I got to experience my town in a way I have never experienced it before. I have never been to places like Top Town and through this initiative, I have learnt about it.
“I am looking forward to telling tourists about Komani. I am sure they will enjoy it,” she said.
Another petrol attendant, Dorah Tsetso, said the initiative taught her about Queenstown and Hogsback.
“I had never been to a lake before and I enjoyed that first experience when we were taken to Hogsback. This has sparked an interest in tourism for me.” — siyat@dispatch.