A new online system will make it easier for tourist guides in the Western Cape to register, renew and update their details.
The system is accessible through the Western Cape Government eService portal and provides guides with the opportunity to register, create a profile, search the knowledge base of resources, give feedback, ask questions and chat with an agent.
“With the reopening of inter-provincial travel under Alert Level 2, our tourist guides play an important role in welcoming visitors to the Western Cape and ensuring they have a great experience and keep coming back,” said Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier.
The online registration is the first of its kind in South Africa and is just one of the ways the Western Cape Government has been working to support tourist guides during COVID-19.
The province also collected and verified the details of around 5 000 tourist guides to ensure they were able to access relief funding from the Department of Tourism.
The ‘One Day’ tourism campaign developed by Wesgro offers guides the opportunity to become virtual guides. “At the end of the virtual tour, viewers can show their appreciation to the guides through PayPal or Snapscan,” said Maynier.
From this month, tourist guides can also schedule appointments to collect their ID cards and badges from the Tourism Guide Registration Office. “While the office remains partially closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions, almost 200 tourist guide ID cards and badges are ready for collection,” concluded Maynier.
