Introduction to Tourist Guiding PDF 2019

Introduction to Tourist Guiding Seventh Edition By Peet J. van Dyk IZIMPILO C & S PRETORIA 2019 Introduction to Tourist Guiding Copyright ©Peet van Dyk 2018 (partially updated 2024) Izimpilo C & S Publishing Division P.O. Box 911 Faerie Glen Pretoria 0043 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without permission in writing from the author. i ii Table of Contents PREFACE..................................................................................................................................... VI PART 1......................................................................................................................................... 1 BASIC SKILLS OF A TOURIST GUIDE............................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 2 LEARNING OUTCOMES:...................................................................................................................... 2 KEY TERMS AND ACRONYMS................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................ 2 1.2 WHY STUDY TOURISM?....................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 HOW TO BECOME A TOURIST GUIDE...................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 – BASICS ABOUT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY................................................................................ 9 LEARNING OUTCOMES:........................................................................................................................... 9 KEY TERMS............................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 DEFINITIONS...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 THE TOURISM PRODUCT.................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................................. 18 2.4 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................. 21 2.5 ROLE PLAYERS IN TOURISM................................................................................................................. 26 2.6 TRENDS IN TOURISM......................................................................................................................... 27 2.7 FUTURE OF TOURISM IN SA................................................................................................................ 29 CHAPTER 3 – REQUIREMENTS FOR TOURIST GUIDES................................................................................ 32 LEARNING OUTCOMES:......................................................................................................................... 32 KEY TERMS............................................................................................................................................. 32 3.1 FORMAL & LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GUIDES..................................................................................... 32 3.2 PERSONALITY & ENTHUSIASM............................................................................................................. 33 3.3 ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR......................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 4 – DUTIES OF A TOURIST GUIDE............................................................................................ 44 LEARNING OUTCOMES:......................................................................................................................... 44 KEY TERMS............................................................................................................................................. 44 4.1 INFORMING TOURISTS....................................................................................................................... 44 4.2 IMPLEMENTATION OF ITINERARIES....................................................................................................... 54 4.3 RESPONSIBILITY FOR LUGGAGE............................................................................................................ 62 4.4 HANDLING MONEY........................................................................................................................... 64 4.5 PROVIDING LEADERSHIP..................................................................................................................... 69 4.6 ENTERTAINING YOUR TOURISTS........................................................................................................... 70 4.7 ENSURE THE SAFETY & COMFORT OF YOUR TOURISTS............................................................................. 72 4.8 ASSIST WITH TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS................................................................................................. 79 4.9 RECORD-KEEPING AND FEEDBACK........................................................................................................ 81 iii CHAPTER 5 – PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF GUIDING...................................................................................... 83 LEARNING OUTCOMES:......................................................................................................................... 83 KEY TERMS............................................................................................................................................. 83 5.1 CLEAR COMMUNICATION................................................................................................................... 83 5.2 MEETING & GREETING PROCEDURES................................................................................................... 85 5.3 AIRPORT PROCEDURES...................................................................................................................... 86 5.4 BASIC INFORMATION......................................................................................................................... 87 5.5 HOTEL PROCEDURES......................................................................................................................... 89 5.6 GUIDING IN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS........................................................................................................ 91 5.7 COOPERATION................................................................................................................................. 93 CHAPTER 6 – HANDLING PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS................................................................................... 97 LEARNING OUTCOMES.......................................................................................................................... 97 KEY TERMS............................................................................................................................................. 97 6.1 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOURING........................................................................................................... 97 6.2 PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS........................................................................................................... 101 CHAPTER 7 – TRANSPORTATION....................................................................................................... 114 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 114 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 114 7.1 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................................................... 114 7.2 INSURANCE ISSUES.......................................................................................................................... 116 7.3 CONDITION OF VEHICLES................................................................................................................. 117 7.4 MAP READING AND GPS................................................................................................................. 121 PART 2..................................................................................................................................... 127 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO SOUTH AFRICA............................................................................ 127 CHAPTER 8 – BASICS ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA........................................................................................ 128 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 128 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 128 8.1 GEOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................................. 128 8.2 THE SOUTHERN NIGHT SKY.............................................................................................................. 135 8.3 DEMOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................... 136 8.3 POLITICS & INFRASTRUCTURE............................................................................................................ 137 8.5 ECONOMY..................................................................................................................................... 143 8.5 NATIONAL SYMBOLS....................................................................................................................... 144 CHAPTER 9 – THE “BIG FIVE” PHASES IN SA HISTORY............................................................................ 148 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 148 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 148 9.1 IDEOLOGY AND HISTORY.................................................................................................................. 148 9.2 THE ORIGIN OF HUMANITY.............................................................................................................. 153 9.3 A LONG PERIOD OF IMMIGRATION..................................................................................................... 155 iv 9.4 GREAT TURMOIL & DISLOCATION...................................................................................................... 158 9.5 GREAT SA WARS & UNIFICATION...................................................................................................... 161 9.6 APARTHEID AND POST-APARTHEID.................................................................................................... 165 CHAPTER 10 – POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.................................................................... 168 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 168 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 168 10.1 CONSTITUTION & GOVERNMENT..................................................................................................... 168 10.2 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS..................................................................................................... 172 CHAPTER 11 - SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE............................................................................................ 177 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 177 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 177 11.1 MAJOR LANGUAGE GROUPS.......................................................................................................... 177 11.2 TRADITIONS & CUSTOMS.............................................................................................................. 178 11.3 ARTS AND MUSIC........................................................................................................................ 181 11.4 RELIGIONS.................................................................................................................................. 183 11.5 SPORT & ADVENTURE................................................................................................................... 184 CHAPTER 12 –WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION...................................................................................... 186 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 186 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 186 12.1 GOVERNMENT CONSERVATION BODIES............................................................................................ 186 12.2 PARKS AND WILDERNESS AREAS..................................................................................................... 187 12.3 BIOMES AND VEGETATION TYPES.................................................................................................... 193 12.4 ANIMAL LIFE................................................................................................................................ 195 12.5 CONSERVATION............................................................................................................................ 200 12.6 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION & POLLUTION................................................................................. 201 CHAPTER 13 – EDUCATION & HEALTH............................................................................................... 207 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 207 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 207 13.1 EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY.......................................................................................................... 207 13.2 HEALTH CARE.............................................................................................................................. 210 CHAPTER 14 – SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES............................................................................................ 219 LEARNING OUTCOMES:....................................................................................................................... 219 KEY TERMS........................................................................................................................................... 219 14.1 AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY............................................................................................................ 219 14.2 SOCIETAL ISSUES.......................................................................................................................... 223 v PREFACE THE PURPOSE of this Introduction to Tourist Guiding is to give prospective tourist guides a detailed text in hand to prepare them for conducting tours within South Africa. After completing this introductory course students need to also complete at least one provincial course (e.g. Gauteng), before they can register as culture guides with the Department of Tourism. The approach within the whole Professional Tourist Guide Series is a holistic one: Although the focus is on culture and heritage, it will also include basic aspects of nature, wildlife and conservation. This introductory guide comprises two diverse sections: The first section deals with the tourism industry in general and the practicalities and duties of a tourist guide. The second part is a broad introduction to South Africa that gives a brief overview of the history, geography, political systems and other important facts about South Africa. The author is an experienced national tourist guide and an academic, who has more than thirty years of teaching experience. This seventh edition was updated with all the newest political developments since 2018, new tourism data and the latest census data from 2017. The author Pretoria June 2018 vi PART 1 ---oOo--- BASIC SKILLS OF A TOURIST GUIDE 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this chapter, you should be able to:  State the aims and objectives of this guide.  List the rewards of tourist guiding  Understand the registration procedures for tourist guides. KEY TERMS AND ACRONYMS THETA CHE 1.1 Aims and Objectives The aim of this basic course in tourist guiding is to train aspirant tourist guides in basic skills for guiding. No “academic” or theoretical analysis of tourism is offered and aspects such as marketing or managing of tourism fall outside the scope of tourist guide training. (If your intention is to eventually become a tour operator or attain skills in marketing or management, you need to enrol for a certificate or degree in tourism management.) In order to fulfil the duties of a tourist guide, candidates should have a fair knowledge of the tourist industry in general, as well as the requirements, responsibilities and practicalities of tourist guiding. They should furthermore follow a strict code of ethics, be able to handle problems and complaints efficiently and understand the expectations and psychology of tourists in general. Many aspirant tourist guides think they know exactly what tourists want and expect that with the minimum of training, they will be able to become a good guide. This is an extremely dangerous and uninformed view. Tourists from abroad do not necessarily have the same interests and needs as local South Africans. Different nationalities, ages and specialty groups may also have different expectations. Although it is true that a wide 2 general knowledge will help one in guiding, one should also know how to select knowledge and relate it in an interesting and entertaining manner and above all, how to work with people. Good tourist guiding requires far more than climbing into a vehicle, telling your tourists everything you know about South Africa and pointing out some places, people or animals. Guiding is a skill – to be developed and to be practised. People travel to enjoy themselves and to be entertained. However, in contrast to an actor, who must entertain their audience for just an hour or two, tourist guides are often busy entertaining, informing and humouring their “audience” for eight to sixteen hours a day! In most cases, guides have the same audience for one to three weeks, making it increasingly difficult to entertain them constantly with something new. Actors also have a predefined script and face the audience so that they can judge the reactions of their audience better. Tourist guides, however, have no predefined script and often must talk to their groups while sitting with their backs towards them. Any attempt to keep strictly to a previously written script often causes boring narratives, because it will sound like formal and unauthentic reciting. Whilst entertaining their tourists, guides also have to ensure that the itinerary is executed according to a strict timetable and attend to all the needs of the group. The tourist guide is therefore an actor, a mother, a leader and a friend to their tourists. This is a developed skill that cannot be attained overnight and can only be achieved when the guide is trained properly and professionally and fully committed to their task. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the theory of guiding, but also to create opportunities for them to practise these skills. When taking your first group, you need to be prepared. Tourists pay a lot of money for their trips and expect only the best. Tourist guiding is a cutthroat business with no place for amateurs, or people who are still practising their skills. To facilitate this expected high standard, the first section of the book is a how-to guide that contains as much practical advice as possible that gives you a background of important information that you will need when conducting tours. This knowledge should be supplemented by practical 3 classroom training in communication, role-playing and microphone technique. The second section of the book gives you a broad overview of South Africa, but for more detailed knowledge about any specific region or province you will need to enrol for a course that will train you as a provincial guide (e.g. for Gauteng or the Western Cape). Before you can register as a culture guide, you need to complete both this introductory course and one of the provincial courses. 1.2 Why study tourism? Training and working as a tourist guide can be very satisfying experiences. If one is interested in seeing and learning more about places, likes to meet and work with people, dislikes the idea of a typical office job, and enjoys informing people about your country – then tourist guiding is the ideal occupation for you. It is also easy to later extend your expertise from tourist guiding and become a tour operator – that is, if you want to organise your own tours. There are, however, also financial reasons why tourism is a good choice as a career: As countries’ economies develop, they tend gradually to move away from the agricultural towards the industrial sector and eventually move from the industrial towards a more service orientated economy. Within such service-orientated economies, tourism usually comprises an important part. Tourism has also been a fast-growing segment of most worldwide economies, especially since the middle 1900s. For example, New Zealand’s continued robust economic growth can be attributed to its tourism industry, which contributed 5.6% of its total GDP in 2016. It therefore offers many opportunities for development and advancement, especially in South Africa where tourism has expanded at a phenomenal rate since the country has become a democracy in 1994. Tourist guiding is a challenging career, constantly changing and always thrilling. 4 1.3 How to become a Tourist Guide The steps for becoming a tourist guide are as follows: a) Evaluation: Before commencing with your training, you should go through an evaluation process to assess your own capabilities and potential to become a successful guide. The following self-evaluation questionnaire is an example of such an evaluation to assess your circumstances, abilities and interests. By completing the questionnaire, you will be able to judge objectively your own chances of becoming a successful tourist guide. SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE Answer Yes or No to the following questions: 1. Are you fluent in English OR any other non-South African language? 2. Do you like being with people and working with people? 3. When conducting tours, will it be possible for you to be away from your home for extended periods? 4. Do you have dependable transport available on a constant basis to enable you to get to and from pickup / drop-off points for tours? 5. Are you easily accessible to tour operators via telephone or Cell phone? 6. Do you have any speech impediment or any other condition that may prohibit you from becoming a successful guide (e.g. stuttering, very soft voice, heavy accent, excessive shyness, or lack of self-confidence)? 7. Do you have any serious medical or physical problems that may make it difficult to conduct a tour successfully (e.g. a serious medical or physical condition, or a low level of physical fitness)? NB: You should have answered YES to the first five questions, and NO to Questions 6 and 7 to have any realistic chance of becoming a successful tourist guide. b) Decide which kind of tourist guide you want to be (please note that training in tourism management or hospitality does not automatically qualify you as a tourist guide!). The National Department of Tourism register guides in three different categories: 5  Culture guides: Culture guides conduct tours to cities, towns, rural areas and cultural and heritage sites. Training can be done at three levels: Sites (limited areas, for example, for a cultural village or museum), provinces and at a national level. Most tourist guides in South Africa are trained as cultural guides for one or more of the nine provinces. Once you have completed your training for all nine provinces you are registered as a national guide.  Nature guides: Previously known as field guides, nature guides conduct tours within nature reserves and national parks – usually in open-drive safari vehicles or walking tours. Most nature guides in South Africa are trained by FGASA (Field Guides Association of South Africa). They train guides at various levels, depending on which kind of nature guiding they want to do. For example, when conducting walking safaris amongst dangerous animals, level 3 training is required, including gun-handling and shooting (for more details see their website: www.fgasa.org.za).  Adventure: Adventure guides are trained in the specific discipline of their choice (e.g. white-river rafting, 4X4, mountaineering, hunting, etc.). Training as an adventure guide is mostly done by accredited private trainers, but some Tertiary Institutions (e.g. Tshwane University of Technology) also offer training in various adventure categories. c) Enrol for training: The next step is to enrol for a course in tourist guiding at an accredited and recognised tourist guide trainer. Accreditation of tourist guide trainers is done by two SETAS (Sectorial Education and Training Authorities). Private trainers are accredited by THETA (Tourism, Hospitality, Sports Education and Training Authority), while higher education institutions (i.e. universities and colleges) are accredited by the Quality Committee of the Council for Higher Education (CHE). The Department of Tourism 6 recognises both THETA and CHE accredited trainers as legitimate trainers of tourist guides. d) Study: Students who wish to register as culture guides usually first complete an introductory course (such as this book) and then train for a specific region or province (e.g. see Explore Gauteng). A student can only register as a culture guide after having completed both the introductory and at least one region or provincial course. e) Practise your skills: Tourist guide training is more than mere theoretical training or the memorisation of facts. The practical training may include aspects such as: Criticising tour itineraries, learning how to use a microphone, handling of luggage, airport and hotel procedures, practising of public presentation, how to communicate with tourists in an interesting and clear way, et cetera. Students are advised to take friends and family members on excursions and practise these skills and not only depend on the formal practical sessions provided by the trainer. Concentrate on your presentations and ensure that you can tell a coherent and interesting story. f) Assessment: Lastly, you will be assessed by writing a formal examination and by completing various practical exercises, including a field trip. During the field trip, it will be expected from you to do actual guiding and to demonstrate your ability to apply your skills and knowledge as a tourist guide. To pass the course you need to complete both the theoretical and practical aspects successfully. g) Registration: On successful completion of your training (theory and practice), students will receive certificates and a formal letter for the courses completed (issued either by the university, or in the case of private trainers by THETA). Guides should use these certificate and formal letters to register at their local provincial tourism authority, which will forward all their details to the National Department of Tourism (NDT) for final registration. Applicants must be at least 21 years old to register and must submit the following documents on registration: 7  A completed registration form.  Attach to the form should be the necessary registration fees (currently R240-00 for a 2-year period) and four recent identical colour passport photographs (30 X 25mm).  An authenticated copy of the University or THETA certificate(s).  A formal letter by the training institution, stating for which categories and areas the student could be registered.  An authenticated copy of the ID document.  A signed Tourist Guide Code of Ethics.  An authenticated copy of a valid First Aid (level one) certificate. Please note that First Aid certificates should be renewed every two or three years.  Optional: An authenticated copy of a Public Driver’s Permit (PDP) – only if the guide wishes to act as driver-guide.  A formal certificate of competency – if the guide wishes to conduct tours in any non-South African language (e.g. German, French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.). It is important that no original documents or certificates (only authenticated copies) should be submitted with registration. Registration should be renewed every two years and it is imperative that you should keep your original certificates for subsequent re- registrations, because universities (and many private training institutions) have a policy that no certificates are re-issued. Authentication of documents can be done by any post office or police station. You need to register separately for each province. As proof of your registration you will receive an official identity card (indicating for which areas and specialties you are registered) as well as a Tourist Guide badge. When conducting tours, you should always display the badge prominently and have your identity card with you. 8 Chapter 2 – Basics about the Tourism Industry LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this chapter, you should be able to:  Give a broad overview and demonstrate a basic understanding of the tourism industry in general.  Demonstrate an understanding of what is meant by the terms “tourism” and “tourist”.  Describe the tourism product and summarise the development of tourist attractions.  Describe what is meant with sustainable tourism and demonstrate an understanding of the need for sustainable tourism.  Identify the key role players in the tourism industry and describe their functions.  Discuss global trends in tourism and how these trends may relate to South Africa. KEY TERMS GDP Sustainability Ecotourism ASATA SATSA 2.1 Definitions Most people have only a vague idea of what is meant by the terms “tourism” and “tourists”, but the formal study of tourism requires more precise definitions of these terms. This is necessary to avoid any possible confusion and to clarify more precisely, what is meant by the term tourist. For example, is a person who quickly crosses the Eswatini border to do some shopping in the town of Pongola, returning the same day, defined as a tourist or not? Should business travellers be regarded as tourists? What about local people travelling within their own country? Further confusion arises when one considers people who temporarily relocate for work purposes (e.g. seasonal or migrant labour) or for studying. From these questions, it becomes clear that tourism is a more complex and dynamic phenomenon 9 than what most people think. Most governments and tourism organisations therefore define tourists along the following terms:  In terms of travelling: Tourists are travellers, who temporarily leave their usual environment or place of residence (house), with the intention of returning to it at some later stage. It therefore involves a circular route that may be longer or shorter. Tourists may be either domestic or international tourists, depending on whether they travel within the borders of their home nation (domestic) or travel outside of the borders of their home nation (international).  Time period: Persons are defined as tourists both in time of their minimum and maximum stay. If they spend at least one night away from their house (minimum time) they are defined as a tourist and not as an excursionist (staying less than 24 hours). People who stay longer than 12 consecutive months (1 year) at their destination (maximum time) are not regarded as tourists.  Purpose of visit: Travellers whose main purpose is to work (e.g. migrant or seasonal workers) are NOT regarded as tourists. However, business travellers are defined as tourists, mainly because they usually make use of tourist facilities and modes of travel, while ordinary workers do not. The main purpose of tourists may therefore be for leisure (e.g. for recreation, holiday, or for visiting friends), business, conferences, studies, to participate in sport, or for religious or health reasons. The above discussion further implies that tourists usually visit various places, travelling for a relatively brief period for which an itinerary is usually planned, usually engage in various activities during their stay at the destination and use facilities provided to cater for the needs and enjoyment of tourists. 10 2.2 The Tourism Product Businesses, which provide facilities and services for tourists, often are exclusively for the benefit of tourists and therefore would not be able to survive without a steady flow of tourists. Examples of these are hotels, airlines, travel agencies, tour operators, holiday resorts, national parks and nature reserves. Other businesses may survive without any tourists, but in a much-diminished form (e.g. restaurants, taxis and museums). Such facilities and services may be termed the “tourism product”. This involves the attractions at the destination (both natural and fabricated), the facilities and the way in which they are made accessible to visitors. Prospective tourists usually choose their destination based on their specific preferences and abilities in terms of affordability, accessibility and the nature and image of the specific attraction (see below). Tourist guides need to be well informed about all components of the tourism product (i.e. accommodation, attractions, travel tour operators and transport operators). 2.2.1 Types of Tourist Attractions Tourist attractions form the basis and motivation for people to want to visit a specific place. Because one always need time and travelling costs money and may involve some discomfort (e.g. long flights), the appeal of attractions should be strong enough to pull people away from their homes and give them the gratification, which they wish to gain from traveling. Tourists want to get away from the boredom of their everyday life and this necessarily involves a change of environment or doing something interesting or different. One also must consider the peculiar zeitgeist amongst the next generation of adults, or millennials, who have often demonstrated that they prefer spending money on experiences such as travelling, over possessions. To be considered a worthwhile tourist attraction, it should therefore be something out of the ordinary and be considered as something that will provide some kind of unique experience. 11 The following are different types of attractions:  Scenery: These may be natural or human-made in nature or a mixture of the two. For example, beautiful natural places such as Table Mountain, human-made places such as the Victoria-Alfred Waterfront, or the spectacular Swartberg Mountain Pass (near Oudtshoorn) which is both.  Wildlife and nature: With the fast-growing market in ecotourism, nature national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries have become increasingly popular with tourists. On the natural spectrum these attractions may range from wilderness areas such as the Kruger National Park and Baviaanskloof, to caged facilities such as Monkeyland in Plettenberg Bay.  Adventure: Adventure attractions such as bungee jumping, riding on elephants, aerial flips, mokoro rides on swamps and diving are all sought-after tourist attractions for both domestic and international tourists in South Africa. For example, Sodwana Bay (in KZN) is regarded by many as one of the top twenty diving sites in the world and it accommodates thousands of scuba divers each year.  Cultural and Heritage Attractions: The cultural diversity of South Africa is one of its major attraction points. These may include paleo- anthropological sites such as the Cradle of Humankind, cultural villages, monuments, buildings of historical or architectural worth, stone-age art, religious sanctuaries and sporting events. Sometimes even so-called unattractive localities, or what is usually considered socially unacceptable places and people, may become tourist attractions. These may include places of natural disasters, informal settlements with poor socio-economic circumstances and places of prostitution and gambling. In the case of South Africa, foreign and local tourists often find black townships such as Soweto interesting and appealing: notwithstanding some examples of extreme poverty, it is a place where history was made. 12 2.2.2 Facilities The absence of tourist facilities may sometimes deter tourists from visiting an otherwise appealing attraction. Good amenities such as accommodation, restaurants, picnic sites, sport facilities, shops, hairdressers, lifeguards and police stations, complement the attraction and make some people want to visit close by attractions. It should, however, be noted that too many facilities, or an over-development of natural areas may deter, rather than attract nature lovers. Although the mere presence of tourist facilities is often not enough to attract visitors to an area – if there is nothing else to see or do – the absence of some basic facilities or bad facilities may have a very negative impact on visitor numbers. However, in some cases facilities may become a tourist attraction in themselves, for example, the Sun City hotels and some famous restaurants. When tourist guides have a say in the compilation of itineraries, they should try to select the best facilities available. To cut down on costs by providing shabby or poorly serviced amenities is always a bad idea. Ensure the best and widest range of facilities possible within the budget of the tour. Guides also have the responsibility to give fair but critical feedback to tour operators about facilities. The fact that tour operators usually have special discount agreements and convenient payment agreements with certain hotels and restaurants may unfortunately sometimes be the primary motivation for choosing a specific hotel or restaurant. It is also easier for operators to arrange visits to well- known places, because they know the facilities and personnel well. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to a choice of rundown establishments that don’t offer the same level of service than what they did a few years ago. In some cases, the standard of service or the physical environment may deteriorate quite fast. In such instances, it is the guide’s responsibility to bring it under the attention of the operator, either when discussing the itinerary beforehand or as feedback after the tour. However, a tourist guide should never try to persuade an operator to change an itinerary merely 13 because they prefer certain facilities. If you do this, operators will soon realise it and not offer you further employment. Tourist guides do have the right to insist on separate accommodation for them. With low budget tours, operators may sometimes expect of you to share with a driver or another guide of the same sex. It is, however, obviously not ideal. If you are not willing to do this, please advise the tour operator beforehand. In general, it is unnecessary thriftiness and lack of respect for the privacy of the guide by the tour operator which cause them to expect guides to share a room with a driver or another guide. Many establishments anyway give free accommodation to guides and drivers of medium to large tour groups (i.e. one free room for every 10 to 15 tourists). Most coaching companies also have a firm policy that their drivers are not allowed to share rooms with guides or tourists. At the most, it can be expected of a driver to share a room with another driver of the same coaching company. When you sense that a specific group has unreasonable high expectations of facilities (for example, some foreign tourists may be slightly disappointed with the somewhat rustic accommodation in some of our nature reserves and national parks) it may be appropriate to give a more realistic description of the facilities or downplay them somewhat before arriving at the destination. Rather have pleasantly surprised tourists than having to deal with disappointed ones! This does not imply that you should be negative. There are always positive aspects that you can concentrate on, without denying or lying about the truly negative attributes of facilities. If the facilities are unacceptable, contact the operator immediately and (if possible) try to make alternative arrangements. However, never do these without first consulting with tour operators; otherwise, they may expect you to pay for the alternative arrangements! Extreme discretion and fairness, when assessing facilities, should be exercised. One should also ideally first take complaints up with the management of a facility before complaining to the tour operator. 14 Tourists often complain about the lack of facilities, either because they had mistaken expectations about them or because they expected the best, while they are willing to pay only a minimum amount of money. In the tourism industry it is, however, very true that you get what you pay for. If you think a tourist’s complaints about facilities are unrealistic, convey this to him or her in a non-aggressive manner. Give them accurate information about the difference in costs between the current facilities and more luxurious establishments and clearly communicate to the complainant that he or she did not pay for the more luxurious facilities. In extreme cases (if possible), offer to make alternative arrangements if the complainant is willing to pay the additional costs. If they are not being ripped off, most tourists will then accept their current arrangements. 2.2.3 Affordability of Destinations Affordability of tourist destinations is decisive for tourists when they choose a specific destination. Most tourists would simply not visit an attraction if it is too expensive. How affordable an attraction is may be determined by the cost of travelling to the destination, the cost of facilities such as lodging and transport and entrance fees to attractions. Expensive long-haul flights, pricy hotels or lodges and overpriced tourist coaches can therefore all deter tourists to visit a specific country or destination. Affordability is largely determined by which market segment the attraction is catering for. Relatively expensive backpacker lodgings may be too expensive for the average budget traveller, while upper market travellers may find a specific five-star establishment reasonably priced, while most budget travellers would not be able to afford it or consider it an option. On the other hand, a relatively expensive boat cruise may offer such good value for money (even though being expensive) and include such exotic destinations that many travellers may be willing to save money for years to enable them to go on such a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Affordability is therefore a very subjective term that does not always link to the specific disposable income of a potential tourist, but it is nonetheless 15 still an important factor in determining if a tourist attraction or destination will be viable. Although it may sound contradictory, prices which are very low may also be a deterrent to some tourists. That is because cheap prices are often associated in the tourism industry with low demand caused by bad service, shoddy accommodation and destinations which are not worthwhile visiting. Seen from the perspective of the tour operator, so-called budget tours may also be a trap, because even though budget tourists may pay very low prices they nonetheless often expect high quality accommodation and transportation, which are of course unrealistic. It is therefore not surprising that most complaints and problems in the tourism industry emanate from either the low end of the spectrum or from the luxurious expensive side, which may be seen as a “rip-off” even by wealthy tourists. Even though South Africa is a relatively cheap destination, due to our relatively weak currency, most tourists will still have to take into consideration the financial cost of visiting the country. It is the tourist industry’s responsibility to offer the best possible product for the planned itinerary. Sustainable tourism can therefore only be achieved if the price of the product is compatible with the kind of attraction and experience offered. 2.2.4 Accessibility of destinations Accessibility of a destination refers to speed, comfort and the way in which a destination can be reached. Infrastructure, such as roads, airports, railways and seaports are therefore important. Transport infrastructure determines the type, size, speed and range of vehicles that can be used to reach the destination. The type of transportation preferred by a specific tourist is therefore of paramount importance. For example, if an attraction is only accessible by cruise ship and people can either not afford it, or hate travelling by boat, because they get sea sick, they will probably not choose that specific destination, even though they may otherwise have liked it. The road and transport network of South Africa are generally considered the best in Africa. Luxury coaches can transport tourists in great comfort over generally well paved roads and flights are available to most popular 16 destinations and larger cities. Although flying is relatively expensive in South Africa, it is important to remember that many foreign tourists prefer to fly rather than drive to a destination. If the destination is far and there are no regular and interesting stopovers available along the way, it is better to consider flying the tourists there. Flight costs are, however, a prohibitive factor. 2.2.5 Image of Destinations When one considers the image of a destination, the needs and perceptions of visitors are most important. Even when attractions are readily accessible and are affordable or even free, they may still be avoided if the facilities are not up to standard or are missing (e.g. gyms, hair saloons or golf clubs – for the upper-market urbanised traveller). The image of a destination is, however, not entirely determined by its facilities, but also by how interesting it is, how modern, fashionable, novel or “cool” it may be. Alternatively, lovers of the wilderness may prefer exactly the opposite. For that reason, people who prefer remote destinations would rather choose undeveloped and largely non-serviced destinations such as a camping site in the Kalahari Desert to the Margate beachfront. In contrast, people who like to socialise, have all their amenities, like to do a lot of shopping and play golf during their holidays, will probably rate Sun City as a desirable destination with the right image fitting their lifestyle. Perceptions of tourists are usually influenced by one or more of the following: previous experience, word-of-mouth recommendations by friends and family, advertising by travel agents or brochures and the prospective tourist’s immediate needs. Although perceptions about destinations may not necessarily be “correct”, they usually play a very important role in determining their choices of tourist destinations. To establish and sustain a positive image of a destination in the collective consciousness of tourists is therefore an important marketing goal within the tourism industry. The tourist guide plays a key role in this, especially in establishing an image in the mind of tourists that encourages them to revisit South Africa. 17 2.3 Stages of Development Tourist attractions go through distinct phases of development and deterioration. The degree to which an attraction has been developed or has been deteriorated will play a significant role in how appealing the destination will be to tourists. Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what all tourists want, due to the fact that different people have different needs and therefore would find different stages of development more or less attractive, general outlines can be drawn. Most scientific studies offer complex phases and cycles to explain this process of development, decline and upgrading of tourist facilities and attractions. For the purposes of the tourist guide we can, however, distinguish the following simplified development cycle:  The relatively undeveloped stage  The highly developed stage  The declining stage – when attractions need upgrading or redevelopment. 2.3.1 The Relatively Undeveloped Stage In the relatively undeveloped stage, access to a tourist attraction may be difficult or limited (although this is not necessarily the case, depending on the locality of the attraction), few (if any) amenities exist and it usually attracts a limited number of visitors. Such amenities (e.g. toilets) that exist are usually developed by the local owners, municipality or provincial authority and the visitors are mainly local or of the more adventurous type. The reasons why tourist attractions may be relatively undeveloped vary. For example, a site may be deliberately undeveloped in order to retain its wilderness or natural character. In other cases, a site may have great potential for development, but the necessary money and entrepreneurship may be lacking to develop it for the wider tourist market. However, it is also important to realise that some sites may not have much to offer in terms of 18 scenic beauty, activities or facilities (e.g. the local dam of a small town) and therefore has limited potential for development. Sites that may be appealing to people with specialist interests (e.g. a mountain peak ideal for paragliding, or a disused opencast mine, ideal for scuba diving), will also have limited possibilities for development. The relatively undeveloped stage of a tourist attraction is therefore not necessarily a bad thing. The overdevelopment of natural areas often destroys its attractiveness rather than enhancing it. Unfortunately, from an economic point of view, such undeveloped attractions seldom provide the desired financial benefits for the area because of the limited number of visitors it can attract. The exception to this rule may be undeveloped wilderness areas that are marketed as exclusive destinations, with high camping and access fees and a limited number of visitors. Examples of such relatively undeveloped and yet popular tourist destinations (especially to the 4X4 community) are some of the camping grounds in the National Parks and wilderness areas in Botswana. 2.3.2 Developed Stage The development of high-quality tourist amenities may be gradual or relatively quick, depending on the situation and the involvement of national or multinational developers. Usually development of an attraction starts with some local entrepreneurs developing limited facilities (often in the range of 2-3 star) establishments. In this initial development phase, an increasing number of non-local tourists are attracted to the destination, but numbers are still limited and few, if any, of the national chains of hotels and shops are present. If the attraction proves to be popular, or is deemed to have potential for further development, it then often attracts the attention of bigger developers (often with a national footprint). Development then moves into “overdrive” as the quality and/or quality of facilities are improved. This may entail the development of 4-5 star hotels, improving access (e.g. tarring of roads or the building of a small airport), luring big commercial chains to the locality to improve shopping and service opportunities and the development of a 19 whole arrangement of activities (e.g. golf, hiking, mountain bike trails, 4X4 routes and quad bike routes). In exceptional circumstances, development may be quick, with large developers identifying the potential of a previously undeveloped destination (or even by creating a completely new destination). The Sun City development in the North West Province would be an example of such a development. 2.3.3 Declining Stage Most tourist attractions are vulnerable to deterioration, either of the facilities or of the natural environment. The regular upgrading of existing facilities and the rehabilitation of the environment may often prevent this decline, but in many cases, destinations may fall out of favour, because they are not fashionable anymore, the novelty has worn off or they have lost their “cool” image and become “unfashionable”. This problem is much more difficult to solve and involves the correct “reading” of the current or future needs and lifestyle of potential tourists, which may be very difficult to assess or predict. In such cases a complete redevelopment and rebranding (if possible) would be required, for example the redevelopment of a previously popular shopping mall. When successful redevelopment of an attraction is not possible, because of the unwillingness to do it, limited funds, the incorrect assessment of future tastes or needs, or just because of the nature of the attraction, decline and eventual bankruptcy of the establishment may be inevitable. Most tourist attractions therefore will need a regular redevelopment plan or face closure. Unfortunately, the inherent nature of an attraction may make successful redevelopment of some attractions impossible. For example, a few decades ago putt-putt facilities were quite popular and attracted numerous tourists. However, in the past years this form of entertainment has shown a drastic decline in popularity, making any upgrading or even redevelopment of such facilities futile – except if it suddenly again increases in popularity. On the other hand, some exceptional tourist attractions may 20 prove to be almost ageless, requiring little or no redevelopment. Some natural attractions may be examples of this. It is the task of tourist guides to inform tour operators about new developments and the possible decline of existing ones. Often tour operators do not visit tourist attractions on a regular basis and may not be aware of the situation on the ground level and decline of attractions can sometimes be surprisingly fast. 2.4 Sustainable Development Sustainability is an absolute requirement for the survival of tourism. The purpose of sustainable tourism is to develop and utilise a tourist attraction in such a way that the needs of both the current and future generations can be met. It therefore will guide against overdevelopment (especially of natural areas) and would always hold a long-term view about tourism. Sustainable tourism will therefore reject any inconsiderate development that only has short-term benefits in mind. 2.4.1 Different Approaches to Development When considering the different perspectives on tourism development, one can identify two possible extremes on the spectrum of approaches:  The one-sided economic approach: This view emphasises the positive economic effects of developing an area for tourism with a simple belief that the economic benefits of development are always more important than the possible negative side-effects. Unfortunately, this one-sided and short-term approach has in the past (and sometimes today) been quite widespread in tourism development throughout the world. This has led to the realisation that tourism is not always a clean and environmentally friendly industry as assumed by many people. If only economic factors are emphasised, this may lead to negative and destructive effects on the ecology or culture of a local community. Often this then leads to the destruction of exactly those features (e.g. natural beauty or cultures) that initially attracted tourists to the area. 21 Considering only short-term economic factors is therefore not compatible with sustainable tourism.  The one-sided environmental approach: This approach correctly recognises the fact that destroying the natural features of an attraction may be an irreversible process, which damages the ecosystem or destroy a traditional culture. The environmental approach therefore emphasises long term sustainability and guards against any forms of ecological or cultural “pollution”. The culture and social customs of local communities may be irreversibly destroyed by the influx of tourists. These negative changes may be as subtle as the gradual change from a rural to an urban culture, or it may involve the total disappearance of an entire traditional culture. For example, the development of cultural villages in South Africa, where visitors are allowed on a regular (sometimes constant!) basis into a homestead or group of homesteads, immediately affects some degree of authenticity. It intrudes into the privacy of the local community and contact with tourists may influence the local customs and ideals of the members of the community. The nature of “cultural villages” often becomes increasingly artificial as people start performing and entertaining their audience. If these aspects are not kept in check, the cultural village may eventually become so artificial that it loses all its attraction to tourists that crave experiences that are more “authentic”. However, if the environmental approach completely ignores the potential need for economic upliftment of impoverished local communities it may in principle protest any kind of development, which may have extremely negative socio-economic effects on the population. A more balanced approach to tourism development is therefore required. It is a self-defeating strategy to destroy the natural assets of an area by over- development. Certain areas may be so vulnerable that only low-impact tourism could be allowed in them. It is also imperative that the interests of the local community should always be taken into account when developing 22 an area. Sustainable tourism needs to balance the satisfaction of tourist needs, conservation of the natural environment and a consideration for the economic interests of the local population with each other. This is only possible if a short-term approach to tourism development is discarded in favour of more long-termed balanced approaches. The natural environment is still one of the basic and most sought-after resources for tourism. This is especially true in South Africa. However, although the exception, tourism may sometimes also stimulate conservation and help preserve the environment. This may happen, for example, when income from tourism may make it possible to manage national parks properly by preventing poaching and by funding research. In poor African countries, the existence of large conservation areas would not be possible if they could not be sustained by tourism. 2.4.2 Carrying Capacity To ensure sustainable development the carrying capacity of an area or attraction should always be determined. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of people who can utilise a site without altering it an unacceptable way or destroy or damage it in such a way that it will negatively impact on the quality of experience of future visitors. The carrying capacity of a site depends on the nature of the attraction, the type of tourist activities, the socio-cultural differences between tourists and the local community and on how delicate the local environment may be. For example, certain destinations (such as the Waterfront in Cape Town) may have a much larger carrying capacity than for example the Cederberg wilderness area. When the carrying capacity of an area is exceeded, it may result in the irritation (or even antagonising) of the local population or in other cases to the severe environmental degradation of a wilderness area. Both may eventually result in lowering the quality of experience by the tourist and the ultimate avoidance of the area by tourists. This can be avoided by ensuring that proper environmental impact studies are done before development and 23 that locals are involved in tourism development and have a say in the direction and extent of such development. This includes involvement in labour and in the maintenance of local traditions and life-styles. 2.4.3 Environmental degradation Environmental degradation due to tourism can take place in various ways. Some examples are:  Damage to vegetation: Vegetation can be damage through the picking or removal of plants, damaging or chopping down trees, trampling of vegetation and fires.  Pollution or over-utilisation of water resources by the tourism industry: The dumping of chemical waste and sewage into wetlands, streams or rivers, change in the pH (acidity) or hyper-nitrification may harm natural water resources and have a devastating effect on both vegetation and animal life. Taking too much water from natural rivers can also damage fragile ecosystems.  Pollution of the environment by the dumping of rubbish. If waste management is not handled properly by accommodation providers, this may severely spoil an attraction, due to the accumulation of rubbish and smoking refuse dumps.  Air pollution: Air pollution may be caused by a large number of vehicles visiting an attraction, powerboats, aeroplanes or by burning refuse.  Noise pollution: The sense of wilderness can be easily destroyed by noise pollution caused by cars, coaches, quad bikes, motor cycles and aircraft. Loud tourists at night can also be another polluting factor that spoils the rustic feel and silence of the nature destination. Noise pollution often goes unmanaged in a wilderness area and may destroy a wilderness attraction. 24  Disruption of wildlife by destroying habitats, disrupting breeding or migration patterns, or the accidental or deliberate killing of animals by vehicles may also have a detrimental effect on wilderness areas.  Buildings, human structures and graffiti may further spoil natural environments or heritage sites such as San paintings. Scaled according to their negative impact on an area, tourism activities can be classified on a spectrum between having a high negative impact and those having a low negative impact on the environment (both natural and cultural). Tourism with a high negative impact is inconsiderate, offensive, aggressive, fast, maximal, and mostly focusses on growth and quantities with a short- term perspective. Tourists participating in such high impact forms of tourism usually prefer mass travel, fixed itineraries and comfortable and passive experiences. Such tourists often contribute to noise pollution, do little intellectual preparation for the trip and have limited time. In contrast, tourism with a low impact are considerate, often prefer more active forms of leisure (e.g. hiking), are willing to learn and travel in smaller groups and at a much slower and more thoughtful pace. Tourism developments catering for soft forms of tourism are much more aware of the long-term effects of development on the environment. Low impact tourism is therefore much more sustainable over a long period and less damaging to the local culture and environment. Tourist guides should as far as possible act as the watch dogs of the industry and report any problems to the relevant authorities. They are often the first people to recognise probable future problems in development and to recognise where development is going in the wrong direction. ACTIVITY: Practical task Go to one of the tourist attractions in your area and observe which actions are taken by the owners to avoid the natural or cultural degradation of the place. Do you think the way it was developed and is being operated is compatible with sustainable tourism? 25 2.5 Role players in tourism The tourism industry involves many role players. To provide an excellent product, all role players should pull their weight. The following are important role players in tourism: 2.5.1 Owners / Managers of Attractions The people who control access to an attraction or provide the facilities, are always important cogs in the wheel of tourism. The central government may control attractions, or they may be privately owned. In exceptional cases attractions are managed by the people who are also the owners. Managers usually determine the type and quality of facilities and service to be provided. 2.5.2 Accommodation suppliers Accommodation may be run by the same authority that manages the attraction (e.g. the National Parks) or it may be provided by separate managers or concession holders. Accommodation ranges from serviced, partly-serviced and self-catering establishments. 2.5.3 Transport suppliers Air, sea, rail and road transportation make up the transport suppliers for the tourism industry. In South Africa, tourist guides primarily deal with air and road transport providers, although some special packages may include train safaris or transportation by boat or luxury liner. Guides should make sure that they know the intricacies, procedures and possible pitfalls of each kind of transportation. 2.5.4 Private sector support suppliers Private sector support suppliers include a variety of supportive service providers such as catering services, marketing support, education and training, couriers, financial services, curio shops, flea markets, general shops, and finally, the tourist guide. 26 2.5.5 Public sector support services The Department of Tourism and South African Tourism are more important role players in the public sector. SA tourism is now primarily involved in marketing and regulation of standards. Each province, city and town usually also have their own centres responsible for tourism. Visa and passport offices, customs, the transport department, and environmental and conservation authorities play a further role in the tourist industry. Universities and other tourism training institutions also provide input and service to the industry. THETA (Tourism, Hospitality, and Sports Education and Training Authority) is responsible for setting standards for many tourism-training institutions, especially at the lower levels of skills training. 2.5.6 Intermediaries Tour operators and travel agents are responsible for putting together and selling tours to prospective tourists. Although the boundaries between travel agents and tour operators are sometimes blurred, travel agents usually deal with various tour operators to devise all-inclusive packages that they sell to other travel agents or tourists. Tourist guides usually have little or no contact with travel agents (who are usually located in the country from which the tourists originated). Typically, guides are employed and receive all their instructions from the local tour operator, who runs the tour on behalf of a travel agent from abroad. 2.6 Trends in tourism 2.6.1 Basic statistics Usually, tourism annually increases in most regions in the world between 7 and 8%. The industry was of course seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but 2021 saw a managed return to business and even a 4% upturn. It is expected that these increases will only continue. On average, tourism contributes 10.3% (directly and indirectly) to the world’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product, i.e. the total money exchanged in a 27 country’s economy) and 9.6% of all jobs. In some primary holiday destinations such as Mauritius it is, however, much higher. In pre-pandemic terms, South Africa’s tourism industry contributed 6.9% to the country’s GDP directly in 2019, and sustains almost 800 000 jobs, which translates to about 1 in every 21 employed individuals being employed in the industry. Measured against other industries, the tourism sector is larger than agriculture, utilities (electricity, gas & water), and construction. Tourism in South Africa has shown strong growth over the past years, forming a robust sector in the South African economy. This can be illustrated by the fact that in 1993 tourism contributed a mere 4.6% to South Africa’s GDP (compared to the 6.9% in 2019). The number of tourist arrivals has also increased from 7 million in 2009 to 14.8 million in 2019. In 2017 more than 70% of all foreign tourists, visiting SA came from the African countries, with visitors from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho making up 50% of the total tourist arrivals. Most of the African visitors came to South Africa for shopping purposes, stayed on average only 2 bed nights and generally did not participate in organised tours. Overseas visitors (non-African countries) contributed 26.1% of the total number of tourists coming to South Africa in 2017. The top ten overseas tourist countries (non-African) in terms of visits to SA in 2015 were: 1. UK (19.0%) 2. USA (13.9 %) 3. Germany (12.0%) 4. France (6.0%) 5. Netherlands (5.7%) 6. Australia (4.6%) 7. China (3.9%) 8. India (3.72%) 9. Canada (2.6%) 10. Italy (2.4%) 28 2.6.2 Top SA destinations South Africa’s most popular provinces visited by foreign tourists are Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. The top regions visited by tourists are: Cape Town and Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Garden Route, Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, Durban Beachfront, Robben Island, Soweto, Blyde River Canyon and the Wild Coast. 2.7 Future of tourism in SA 2.7.1 Positive factors Possible strengths that may act in favour of South African tourism are:  Scenic beauty: Assets of incomparable beauty and quality (e.g. natural beauty of Cape peninsula, Garden route, Drakensberg and ecological significance of the Kruger National Park) are regularly rated top by foreign tourists’ as their most positive experience.  Hospitality, friendly people and good service: Many foreign tourists find South Africans hospitable and friendly who provide good service.  Diversity of products: Diversity of tourism products, especially in the fields of adventure, ecotourism and cultural attractions is a further attraction to many tourists.  Value for money: South Africa is regarded SA as good value for money (relative to other main competing countries in the world). This is primarily due to favourable foreign exchange rates and world-class facilities.  Wildlife and Safari: is a positive drawing card for many tourists. However, one should note that not all tourists have the opportunity to visit wildlife sanctuaries or go on safaris. 29 2.7.2 Negative factors Most people will agree that South Africa has much to offer the tourist. There are, however, also some factors that may have a negative impact on the South African tourist market, and if not solved, may in future have a detrimental effect on the industry. Bad service is commonly seen as one of the most common problems in South Africa’s tourism industry. However, this factor has not shown to be a major reason for dissatisfaction by foreign tourists in various surveys, whilst friendliness was rated highly by participants. Possible improvement on service should, however, always be a concern in the tourism industry. There are far too many poorly trained and/or incompetent tourist guides in the industry. It is estimated that at least 50% of all guides operate illegally. Of these, many have received no formal training, or they may conduct tours in provinces for which they are not registered. This situation needs to be addressed quickly and effectively. “Fly by night” operators are also becoming a problem. Some travel agents and tour operators (fortunately the minority) are only interested in making as much money as quickly as possible. Although there are regulatory associations for operators and travel agents, membership to these organisations are still voluntary. The South Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is the main body representing tour operators, mostly from the private sector. The Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) is a similar organisation for travel agents. Both these bodies have established certain minimum standards for their members (e.g. in terms of insurance and financial arrangements) and they are constantly trying to improve the quality and trustworthiness of the industry. Nevertheless, it sometimes occurs that tour operators or travel agents sell packages to tourists which are really “rip offs”, or they may not offer what are promised to their clients in brochures and itineraries. This is not a specific problem to South Africa, but it needs to be eliminated from the industry as far as possible. 30 Although crime is an increasing problem worldwide, (especially in the world’s larger cities) the level of crime, including violent crime, is becoming a real deterrent for tourists to come to South Africa. Fortunately, tourist surveys have shown that a relatively low number of tourists are actually affected by crimes such as theft and robbery or see general safety as a problem. Although these figures are low, a few well-publicised cases of criminal activities within a country may have a huge effect on perceptions about crime and safety – as was illustrated by the recent abduction of tourists in Northern Kenya. Tourists are often soft targets for criminals: They tend to relax and let their guard drop, are not aware of local conditions, often carry large sums of money and valuables on their person and are in many cases easily identifiable as tourists. Without scaring them away, tourists should therefore be warned in a gentle (but in no uncertain terms) against crime while practical precautions should be suggested to them. Ultimately, an increasing crime problem can only be solved by minimising criminal activity inside the country as a whole. Merely shifting the localities of hotels and by avoiding certain dangerous areas are only short-term solutions, because eventually criminals shift their activities to the newly preferred areas. 31 Chapter 3 – Requirements for Tourist Guides LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this chapter, you should be able to:  Give an overview of the formal and legal requirements for tourist guides.  Describe the registration procedures for tourist guides.  Describe the personality traits and positive attitude required from a tourist guide.  Understand and discuss the need for ethical behaviour while acting as a tourist guide.  Name the main components of the tourist guide code of ethics. KEY TERMS NDT Cultural sensitivity Code of ethics 3.1 Formal & Legal Requirements for Guides 3.1.1 Training and Courses Tourist guides must be trained by a trainer that is accredited by either THETA or by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) (i.e. in the case of universities). Regulations concerning the registration of tourist guides were formalised in terms of the Tourism Act no. 72 of 1993 and have been published in the Government Gazette (Regulation Gazette No. 7138 on 17 August 2001). Training and registration as a guide are possible in three main categories. These are:  Culture: Most guides in South Africa are trained as culture guides (either as site or as provincial guides. They conduct general tours through cities, towns and cultural areas. Most universities and private trainers only offer training as culture guides. This course is an example of the knowledge and skills required to become a culture 32 guide, although it also provides a basic introduction into South African wildlife and ecology.  Nature: Nature guides are trained to conduct wildlife safaris, either on open vehicles or on foot. Most nature guides (or field guides) are trained by wildlife colleges associated with the Field Guide Association of SA (FGASA). They offer training at four levels of competence. 3.2 Personality & Enthusiasm If there is one industry where laziness, a lack of commitment to excellence, general irresponsibility or ill temper will not be tolerated, it is in the tourist guide field. This career path demands certain personality traits. Although it is true that some people adapt to tourist guiding quickly and can almost be considered “natural guides”, a certain degree of development and sharpening of skills remains essential. Certain mistakes or shortcomings can be rectified, but unfortunately, there are some requirements that cannot be learned and need to come intuitively to prospective guides. Prospective guides should be realistic about their own ability to develop or change some personality traits. For example, if you find it difficult to speak fluently and in an entertaining manner you can probably improve your skills by practising and training. However, if you are perhaps an introvert who is afraid of talking in front of people, you will probably never become a successful guide or enjoy working in the field. Enthusiasm about South Africa, a wide interest in many different fields, good health, basic fitness and an agreeable personality are non-negotiables (see more about the basic personality requirements below). Above all, you must remember that you are in the service industry. You must therefore be willing to serve people! Serve them with knowledge, but also in other ways, for example, by helping elderly people up and down steps and in extreme circumstances to even help serving food or drinks. If you think you are too good or too important to serve people – look for another job! 33 In the South African context, we often find that people are defensive when it comes to political issues. If you are on a mission to persuade your tourists about the correctness or fairness of a specific political system/party, or if you are easily offended about political or other issues, you will have many problems as a tourist guide. It is unprofessional to incorporate your personal political beliefs into your guiding. Tourists have their own political opinions and to get involved in political arguments with them is not seen as best practice in the industry. A negative attitude on the side of the tourist guide towards South Africa is not compatible with tourism. Not only will a negative attitude spoil the experience for your tourists, but it is disloyal to the country and may impact negatively on the tourism market. Why would foreign tourists want to visit our country if the tourist guides are not positive about it? This does not imply that you should necessarily agree with the ruling political party or that gentle forms of criticism are not allowed. Avoid criticising the country where possible and if you do offer criticism, don’t dwell on it, but immediately emphasise some other positive aspects of the country. Tourists will intuitively know if you are positive or negative about South Africa. Unfortunately, it has become something of a “hobby” for many guides to scare tourists or dwell unnecessarily on negative aspects of the country (e.g. political developments, crime, condition of the roads, etc.). For this reason, it is essential to constantly check your negativity by listing positive developments and attributes of the country. This is simply good practice and good business sense. Enthusiasm is also a necessary requirement for tourist guides. They need to be generally enthusiastic about their job, South Africa and about life in general. Guiding is also about entertaining, which is something that requires a generally extroverted personality that can provide tourists with a “show” that they will enjoy. However, tourist guides are human and are naturally susceptible to burnout which may lead to a loss of enthusiasm for the job. If this happens to you, it is important to immediately take a break from guiding, reconsider the way in which you are guiding and seek possible 34 ways in which you can make it more interesting to yourself and for your groups. 3.3 Ethical behaviour Tourist guides should in all situations be professional and adhere to a strict ethical code. A professional tourist guide needs to be serious about their commitment to tourism and accepts that the client is paramount and entitled to the best attention and service. If the guide acts in their own interest, without considering what is best for the members of the group, it will immediately be noticed by the group and will affect the quality of the tour. Dedication towards service and willingness to be served last with food or to use conveniences after everybody else is essential. No other occupation demands selflessness from an employee more than tourist guiding does. 3.3.1 Deliver the Goods The tour itinerary is a legal contract. Therefore, do not change a programme without specific permission and instructions by the tour operator. Everything you do must be in the interest of the client. It is important to implement the itinerary as it is stated and not to leave some attractions out just because they are not to your liking or because it may inconvenience you as a person. Rather give a group more than less of what was promised, without incurring extra costs to the tour operator or deviating unnecessarily from the itinerary. If in doubt, stick with the itinerary in all its detail! Whilst touring, a tourist guide is (at least potentially) always on duty – there are no after hours. For this reason, it is important to separate yourself periodically from the group (when it is appropriate) and to ensure that you get enough rest. If you are rested, it is easier to handle any emergencies that may occur after hours. Tourist guides should therefore always balance the two extremes, on the one hand to avoid their groups to rest, and on the other hand, to be ready to serve. Never allow the group to use you as their personal servant, but also don’t be too quick to decide that something is “beneath you”. 35 3.3.2 Be Willing and Able to handle your Duties Tourist guides should handle their duties (see next chapter) in such a way that no one can blame them for shirking responsibility or for being lazy. Ethical and professional behaviour depends largely on how efficient, trustworthy, tasteful and friendly you are in the handling of your duties. All these positive characteristics will not help if you are lax in your duties or try to avoid responsibility. 3.3.3 Be Trustworthy with Money Money is the source of all evil! Money is the easiest way of getting into trouble, because it is easy for tourist guides to fall into the trap of trying to enrich themselves in irregular ways. Guides should constantly check themselves and ensure that they are extremely careful in keeping records of the money entrusted to them (see duties of a tourist guide in next chapter) and ensure that money accrued through tips is distributed fairly. If you lose money or cannot give account of what happened to it, tour operators may expect you to refund them. This may be a financial disaster to you, because tourist guides often must deal with thousands of Rands – mostly in cash. The following guidelines are important when handling money:  Keep written records of all the money you receive and pay out (see details in following Chapter).  Pay tipping money as specified on the tipping list. Don’t forget to pay tipping money or pocket it yourself. When you don’t pay out the amount as stipulated on the tipping list, refund the tour operator and provide reasons for it in your reconciliation report.  Never hint for a tip and never count tipping money (which you have received) in public. It is extremely unprofessional and rude. Avoid receiving kickbacks from curio shops in the presence of any member of your group.  Handle tipping money (received for your services) in a fair way if it needs to be shared with the driver (see the next chapter). 36 Tourists are extremely sensitive and will resent it if they get the idea that you are forcing them to shop at a specific shop. Most travellers know that tourist guides have deals with specific establishments and may receive kickbacks from them. It is therefore important that you give your groups ample time to shop at various localities and give them a choice of places. Remember, the moment they get the idea that you are trying to manipulate them to shop at a specific venue, they will give you a smaller tip! 3.3.5 Behave in Good Taste Guides who become overbearing, have bad manners, use crude language, constantly tell dirty jokes or are generally distasteful, will not survive in the industry. It is therefore important to cultivate a pattern of behaviour that is acceptable and to be sensitive not to be confrontational to anybody in your tour groups. It is better to be over-cautious in relationships, than aspiring to become the drinking partner of the group and by sharing base jokes. Tourists are very keen observers and will always catch you out on bad behaviour, even if you think nobody is looking. Although most people on holiday are relaxed, one should still be careful as you are in the public eye. Even when others initiate crude talk or behaviour, it is important that you do not participate in it. If a group becomes too loud or does things which may not be specifically harmful, but with which you should not associate yourself, it is better to leave the group and find an excuse to do something else. Drinking and guiding do not go together. If people ask you to join them at the bar, order a soft drink or non-alcoholic drink and explain to them that tourist guides are “always” on duty. It is better to adhere strictly to this policy, because if an emergency suddenly occurs, which you must handle, you don’t want to smell of alcohol – even if it is “after hours”. For this reason, it is also not recommended to drink in your room, even if it is only one beer. Leave that for when you are back at home and off the job. It is however, better to make a joke about your “dry habits” during tours than to make a big fuss about it or allow it to become an issue. In most cases, people will respect you for it. Drunkenness or even mild drinking habits are often a sure way of getting kicked off a tour and never being employed again. 37 Tastefulness boils down to good manners and it is one of the most basic aspects of professional behaviour in any occupation. It is, however, not necessary to become obsessed about proper manners and correctness. In general, tourists come to relax and enjoy themselves. They therefore like a relaxing and informal atmosphere and not a strict military regime. Avoid all extremes! It is, however, important to assess your manners regarding eating habits, general behaviour and clothing and to improve them if necessary as you are unfortunately under scrutiny as the tourist guide. For example, to eat too fast (or extremely slow), to indecently expose parts of your body (e.g. go without a shirt or wear a T-shirt without a bra) wipe your nose with your hand or a part of your clothing, breaking winds, etcetera, are totally unacceptable. 3.3.6 Dress Code Dress for the occasion, is the principle adhered to by all good working professionals. It is not acceptable for a tourist guide to attend a formal dinner with his group whilst dressed in short pants and running shoes. It is equally inappropriate to conduct a tour of the Kruger National Park in a suit and tie. Even when dressed informally a guide should always be neat and not look “tacky” or cheap. Buttons opened too low, revealing clothes and too short or small clothing is not appropriate and may easily offend or give the impression that you are not serious about guiding. Looks, unfortunately, do matter when it comes to creating a professional image. Decency and neatness are therefore always essential when dressing. Whilst considering the above dress code, guides should nonetheless pay attention to the practicality of their clothes, especially their shoes. Guides do a lot of walking, often on uneven surfaces. Extreme temperatures (warm or cold) may also sometimes be experienced. It is therefore essential to wear practical shoes and to be able to peel off or add clothes if the climate changes. Whilst on an extended tour, it is easy for clothes to become dirty quickly, smell of sweat or have a creased look. Remember that as a tourist guide you will live from suitcases for long periods of time. It is therefore important to 38 purchase clothes that don’t crease easily, can be washed, and dry quickly (e.g. the K-Way series of clothes, which you can purchase at Cape Union Mart). A fresh and clean look will contribute towards a positive attitude towards you. Personal hygiene is equally important. Make sure that you brush your teeth as often as possible (and use a breath freshener if necessary). Make sure that you use enough deodorant and wash your hair as often as necessary. Due to the fact that you will constantly be in close contact with people, it is also necessary to shower/bath at least twice a day (i.e. in the early morning and in the afternoon). 3.3.7 Honourable Behaviour Honourable behaviour in the tourist-guiding context relates to honesty, keeping your promises and being dependable. If you “drop” people, they will feel cheated. When traveling in a strange country, people would like to be able to trust their guide and know that they can depend on them in all practical aspects of the tour. They must know that you will look after them, ensure their safety and even “mother” them when necessary. If you don’t really care for the people in your group, they will sense it and will not be able to trust you. Double-dealing with people, being over defensive or playing people off against one another is not acceptable. Always be truthful and give your honest opinion when asked. Be a good diplomat and try to avoid answering a question rather than bluntly refusing to answer it. Don’t just give the “tourist-version” about issues, but also don’t try to convert people to your political or religious views. If you want to defend your own position or force your views on people, they will not take to it kindly. Honesty, in conjunction with diplomacy, is therefore required. 3.3.8 Friendships & Sexual Relationships Casual sexual relationships on tour are a certain recipe for disaster. If it can be proved that you had a sexual relationship with a member of your tour group, you may lose your registration as a guide due to gross misconduct. Tour operators will also be reluctant to employ you if you have a name for 39 wooing the other sex, even if there are only persistent rumours going around. Flirting and subtle ways of directing your attention more towards specific members in a group should therefore be avoided. Cultivating strong friendship and relationship bonds outside of guiding is an effective way to avoid unnecessary casual relationships on tours. If you are permanently on tour, it is important not to neglect these bonds and you should make an effort to socialise outside of touring to recharge your batteries and maintain a healthy psyche. Tourists are very quick to pick up any special friendships or to resent undue attention given to some members within a group. This may make them jealous or feel neglected. They will therefore quickly complain in such circumstances. For the same reason it is not acceptable to take a spouse with you on tour (even if you have the permission of the tour operator), because the group will quickly think that you are paying more attention to your spouse than to them. Take heed that you do not ignore people who are quiet or whom you don’t like. Never ignore anyone and avoid giving most of your attention to one or two people. Walk around in the coach to avoid giving too much personal attention to the front seaters and thus link up regularly with the back seaters. To avoid any misunderstanding or suspicions and to protect you from any sexual advances, the following advice should be taken seriously: Never allow any member of your group to enter your room and never enter the room of somebody else, except if you are chaperoned. Rather see and talk to people in public places (e.g. the foyer of the hotel). When somebody knocks at your door, assess who it is and ensure that you are properly clothed before opening the door. Don’t open the door in your pyjamas, but rather ask the person to wait until you are properly dressed. Take the key with you and close the door behind you as you exit your room. If the matter cannot be finalised in a minute or two, arrange to meet the person in the lounge of the hotel. 40 Avoid unwanted attention by occasionally telling the group how wonderful your permanent partner is. Even subtle references to your spouse or partner will often be enough to persuade people that you are not interested or available for casual relationships. Be cautious and avoid temptations or difficult situations before they become embarrassing or difficult to handle. 3.3.9 Cultural Sensitivity Tourist guides should show extraordinary cultural sensitivity, both towards their tourists and in the way in which they conduct the tour and tell tourists about other cultures. Political correctness is not an option, but an obligation when entertaining foreign groups. Any negative reflection on a minority group (e.g. racial group, specific culture or people of a specific sexual orientation) is unacceptable. Understandably, people from minority groups do not think that jokes and slurs regarding their groups are funny. Any comments or negative commentary regarding minority groups should therefore be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, many of our biases and prejudices are expressed indirectly without our conscious knowledge. Paternalism is an especially dangerous attitude when dealing with minority groups. If you think this may be a potential problem, it is important that you should study in more detail prejudice and how it is expressed to become consciously aware of it. Inclusive language is also important. One should not refer to one sex or group to the exclusion of others or imply even subtly that some groups are superior to others. If members in your touring party become involved in negative and culturally insensitive remarks, it is best to either correct them in a friendly manner or ignore it. Under no circumstances should one see it as an opportunity to participate in such discussions. Tourists often deliberately set traps for guides (when they suspect that they are racist or sexist) by suggesting that they “also” hold a certain biased or racist view. Don’t fall into the trap! Learn to neatly step around it or oppose politically incorrect views in a friendly and non-confrontational manner. It is also 41 dangerous to take sides when people within the group disagree about certain issues. Always stress in your commentary that people differ i

Introduction to Tourist Guiding PDF 2019

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