Learner ship and Legalizing Tour Guides
Months of lobbying are finally showing signs of paying off. We have received a contract from CATHSSETA (the tourism and hospitality education and training authority) promising funding for 20 river guides to be trained and qualify legally. These learner ships are to be implemented almost immediately and applications are now open.
The Association is committed to training and legalizing tour guides – especially the bulk of unregistered river guides working on the Vaal.
This will open a new era in tourist guiding in the area. The learners will go through the Generic Adventure Site Guide skills programme (GASG) administered by the Adventure Qualifications Network (AQN), the only accredited training provider in adventure by CATHSSETA.
It will be a requirement that applicants must be members of the Association and must undertake to fulfill their part of the bargain. Quite a lot of paperwork is involved in the qualification so they need to be capable of doing it.
The year 2015 is likely to be a landmark for tourist guides, as the regulatory authorities are certain to clamp down on illegal guides. Our initiative opens the way for much more professional services to the public.