On Tuesday, 21 February 2006, South Africa joined the rest of the world to celebrate International Tourist Guides' Day. This day is set aside to celebrate the contributions that the tourist guide makes to promote South Africa to tourists and recognise the quality and value of professional tourist guides.

The Western Cape Provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism in partnership with the National Department of Environmental affairs and Tourism (DEAT) are striving to highlight the plight of Illegal Guiding in the Province. The National and Provincial Tourist Guide Registrars and staff members of the two Departments visited Table Mountain and at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Waterfront during the course of the day.

The main purpose of these visits was to request tourist guides to produce their identity cards and badges as they arrive with tourists. The exercise will enable both departments to assess the extent of Illegal guides with the objective of designing a National strategy for dealing with this burning issue, which is facing the industry. At both these attractions the awareness pamphlets on Illegal Guiding were distributed to tourists. These visits proved to us that there are Illegal Guides who are guiding and are not complying with the Tourism Second Amendment Act of 2000, as we came across quite a few Illegal Guides in our short but constructive visits. It was concluded that many individuals are unaware of Illegal Guiding and further awareness campaigns will be implemented in future to ensure that the correct messages are communicated in the Industry.

The day's activities culminated into a dinner function held at Suikerbossie Restaurant in Hout Bay, with the MEC for Finance and Tourism, Ms. Lynne Brown gracing us with her presence and welcoming all the dignitaries and honored guests. The keynote address for the evening was done by Ms. Bulelwa Seti, Chief Director for Tourism Support of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Vote of Thanks was rendered by Dr. Patrick Matlou (Deputy Director General: Tourism, DEAT).

The evening also highlighted 12 individuals from Redhill, Masiphumelele and Oceanview receiving their tourist guiding badges. They were all part of a pilot project to train previously disadvantaged individuals to become Nature Site tourist guides. The evening highlighted the great work that tourist guides are doing and celebrated them as being our unofficial ambassadors.

Ms Farhaana Allie
Administration Officer
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
Tel: 021 483 9130
Cell: 073 129 9861

Ms. Noxolo Ntenetya
Acting Provincial Registrar
Tel: 021 483 2960

Issued by the Tourist Guide Registration Office, Department of Economic Development and Tourism, St George's Mall, Cape Town, 8001
Tel: 021 483 9130
Fax: 021 483 2957