Tourist guiding gets a boost at workshop
THE status quo of tourist guiding in South Africa was reviewed and scrutinised when provincial registrars from all nine provinces converged in the North West Province for the third quarterly registrars’ workshop.
Among other matters of vital importance, the workshop was aimed at putting in place methodologies and systems which will advance the tourist-guiding sub-sector and also share best operational practices among provinces.
The forum also looked at emerging technologies with special reference to new and secure systems which can be used to register tourist guides.
Head of the North West department of tourism, Neo Sephoti said that her provincial government regarded tourism as the “new gold” and that, as a province which prides itself on its culture and heritage, having competent, qualified and accredited tourist guides was crucial.
“As part of the provincial government pronouncements we need to have a tourist guide for every village,” said Sephoti.
“This is a mammoth task but we are confident that it can be achieved as we need our people to tell our stories. We don’t need strangers to come from outside and narrate our stories to us. Our own people are better placed and capable to narrate their own stories far better than the people who do not live in that area.”
This, she said, was part of the reason why the idea of having a tourist guide in each village would work.
They would work together with the national Department of Tourism in ensuring that these guides were properly trained and that they fulfilled all legislative requirements.
“The national Department of Tourism will also have to come on board and assist us with skills development and implementation of correct legislation,” Sephoti said.
“As government in Bokone Bophirima, we are committed to spend at least 70% of our budget in villages, townships and ‘small dorpies’ so that we empower our communities and ensure that there is tangible socio-economic change and we can do that through tourist guiding programmes,” she said.
The national registrar of tourist guiding and the deputy director general for the tourism sector support services, Morongoe Ramphele, encouraged provinces to continue working together in ensuring that they address challenges faced within the sub-sector. She said it was important to synchronise systems and put plans in place to ensure that tourists do not struggle when visiting South Africa.
“Provinces need to advise the national department on possible future collaborations so that our plans are aligned with those of your departments,” said Ramphele.
“This will assist with logistical arrangements when providing support and also ensure that we work together as a team.”
The workshop covered issues of compliance, illegal tourist guiding, new technology used in the guiding industry, and new ways of beefing up security in accreditation and registering of tourist guides.
A tourist guide in each village could work