City engages tourist guides on best safety protocols

STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ASSET MANAGEMENT, ALDERMAN JAMES VOS.

The City of Cape Town recently engaged with key tourist guides and industry specialists to determine and confirm the implementation of appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) as part of the COVID-19 impact and tourism recovery.

Mainstream tourism relies on tourist guides to accompany groups of tourists, especially those who find the local languages a challenge. Our guides in the city have a wealth of local and regional knowledge and enhance the tourism experience for visitors. Tourist guide services are imperative to guide all visitors through these experiences and to enhance their stay in a safe and enjoyable environment.

Tourists visiting our beautiful city have become used to very high standards of service and our tour guides compare favourably with the best in the world. I am an accredited tour guide and can attest to the high standards expected and delivered by the industry.

The webinar hosted recently successfully addressed the challenges and protocols needed to safely welcome back tourists.

I continue to engage with my national counterparts and lobby national government to fully reopen the industry to national and international tourism before it is too late. This would be on the strict condition that all the required safety measures are in place.

The City of Cape Town facilitates the co-creation of the appropriate SOPs for tourist guiding in our city as well as South Africa. The recent webinar on Wednesday 29 July was aimed at exactly this and the valuable contribution by panelists have listed and resolved key challenges, including:

• The responsibility and liability of screening procedures as well as cost implications of quarantine measures;
• Handover protocols between service delivery agents (airline, airport, tour operator, accommodation establishment, driver guide, site guide, adventure guide, etc.);
• Differentiated measures for adventure guides, cultural guides, etc;
• Group arrival measures at attractions, facilities, etc. to ensure safety but also minimise time delays; and
• Community readiness and responsibilities towards tourists and vice versa.

We are excited to work with industry bodies to help shape the appropriate and practical procedures to be incorporated on a local and national level. A follow-up webinar will be scheduled to continuously monitor progress and to garner more input from tourism practitioners and communities.