Tourist guide association to boost Mpumalanga’s economy
"The association will play an important role in a region like ours where we have many tourist attractions. It will boost the local economy."
MBOMBELA – A group of tour guides with a common vision formed an association to promote good practice among themselves.
The Mpumalanga Tourist Guides Association (MTGA) was launched last Thursday. It was formed to establish and maintain a pool of recognised professional guides in Mpumalanga and nationally.
According to one of the founding members of MTGA, Mr Mornay Marais, the association aims to contribute to the development of professional guiding and supporting members by improving their capacity and ability.
Those who join the association will also be given first-aid training, industry-specific driving skills and have access to projects such as 4×4 trails in the Kruger National Park.
Marais added that they hoped to implement a system by which tour guides received branding which would identify them as being responsible.
“The association will play an important role in a region like ours where we have many tourist attractions. It will boost the local economy.”
He also said that with the domestic economy plagued by the falling rand, tourism would play a vital role in recovering the currency.
Marais added that the association would like to see an end to illegal guiding in the province and across the country.
“We have seen and read in the past of tourists who were conned by illegal guides who pretended to help them but robbed them of all their belongings.”
He mentioned that sometimes receiving tourists posed challenges as roads in the surrounding areas could be closed due to violent protests, which he believed scared visitors away.
Marais also said that the association would work with various stakeholders to promote local tourism.
