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Campaigns and Events

CAMPAIGNS TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN THE STANDARDS IN THE TOUR GUIDING SECTOR

 The National Registrar of Tourist Guides is required by the law to monitor trends in the tourist guiding sector, facilitate the growth and development of the sector and to improve and maintain standards. The Office of the National Registrar has come up with number of initiatives to achieve this.

These initiatives target a national and international audience to:

  • Raise awareness amongst the general public, visitors and tourism stakeholders about the use of professional tourist guides;
  • Contribute to creating a positive image of the tourist guiding/tourism sector;
  • Raise awareness of the registration and compliance procedures in terms of the requirements of the Tourism Act no 3 of 2014; and
  • Contribute to the professionalization of the tourist guiding sector.
 

Awareness Inspections

The office of the National Registrar in partnership with Provincial Registrars and other stakeholders such as Cross Boarder Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), South African Police Services (SAPS) conduct inspections to create awareness about the use of registered Tourist Guides.
 

In contemporary tourism, tourist guides are an important medium for conveying environmental messages; enhancing destination image and implementing the goals of responsible tourism. As most tourists only view their surroundings from a leisure perspective - guides have the ability to present and interpret information which gives more effect to the way tourists perceive an attraction and understand local culture and heritage.

Awareness inspections are conducted to:

  • Educate existing tourist guides about the legislation on guiding and to educate them with the necessary information to ensure continued compliance.
  • Encourage unregistered tourist guides to comply by communicating the value of the guiding profession and the importance of their role in the tourism sector.
  • Highlight the important role that tourist guides play in contemporary tourism as opposed to the more traditional role that guides have assumed over the years.
 

 

Media Awareness

Tourist guides work requires them to be well informed about different aspects both local and international. The Department is implementing media awareness initiatives to get the following messages across:

 

  • Encourage the travel trade, such as tour operators and booking agents to incorporate registered and legal tour guides in all tour packages/itineraries sold.
  • Highlight the consequences if qualified and registered tourist guides are not used such as loss of business, bad reputation etc.
  • With 40% of travellers using social media to share experiences, tourism businesses must perform at their best and provide customers with the best services possible and one of the ways to ensure this is by sing the services of registered tourist guides.
  • The travel trade needs to change their perceptions of what a tourist guide can offer – tour guides are information providers, social facilitators, cultural hosts, interpreters of natural and cultural environments, entertainers storytellers, problem solvers, safety officers, ambassadors, teachers etc. Tourist guides can be an important competitive factor for tourism businesses.

International Tourist Guides Day Celebrations

International Tourist Guide Day is held on 21st February each year. Celebrations were held for the first time in 1990 by the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) at which time only 15 countries around the world participated and jointly celebrated this special day. Over the years, awareness about this day has grown and to date, more than 70 countries celebrate this event worldwide.

In South Africa this day is celebrated with activities and programmes ranging from presentations, motivational talks, excursions and workshops. The objectives of the celebrations are to showcase tour guiding in South Africa by making the industry and the general public aware of tourist guiding profession. Furthermore, it is to honour and recognise tourist guides that have excelled in their profession and lastly it provides a platform for tourist guides across South Africa to network, discuss challenges within the sector and to share best practices.