Safari tour guides play a key role in creating memorable experiences for tourists that visit various tourism destinations in the country, and it is important that they are always on top of their craft.
This is the basis through which Wilderness Botswana conducts its annual guides refresher courses for all the guides throughout its camps during the low tourism season. The Covid-19 pandemic, which halted tourism activities for a good two years, has made it even more imperative for such courses, as most guides were out of action for that period.
Wilderness Botswana is currently undertaking a refresher course for its guides at Linyanti Tented Camp in the Linyanti concession. The guides have been divided into 4 groups, attending the course for a week in turns.
According to Wilderness Botswana’s Private Guide Manager Attorny Vasco the training was meant to sharpen the guides’ soft skills, and also serve to instil a sense of focus on their role as embodiment of the tourism product offering around the company’s facility.
Vasco also narrated that it is only with the sense of focus and sharpness in their duty, that guides can effectively host and entertain guests, creating memorable experiences.
“This is to ignite the passion of why we are here and also remind ourselves why we work for Wilderness Safaris and the importance guests. This time around we wanted to focus on the soft skills, after Covid-19 things have not been the same.
Meanwhile the main man behind the training, Wilderness Manager and Guides Trainer Cilas Mafoko was adamant the guides in all the groups that went through the training were responding positively.
“There a positive response and they are showing motivation. We believe that come the high season, they will be sharp enough for the work ahead,” he said.
He revealed that though, the training was done annually- it went hiatus during the Covid-19 two-year halt, and most guides came back a bit rusty and needed the refresher course even more.
“We are refreshing the guides on weapon handling, game walks, star gazing, guiding techniques, delivery, moment of discovery,” Cilas has said.
He highlighted that they have invited to assist with the training, guides from outside the Wilderness operations, the pan African Star gazing and a legendary guide from Zimbabwe who used to work for Wilderness.
The third group of the over 60 guides finishes its course tommorow (Saturday), and the last group will start on Sunday, finishing after a week to conclude the whole exercise.
