This is Lion’s Head... or is it?

Published Apr 29, 2013

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Cape Town - This misinformation is being fed to oblivious visitors by some of the Western Cape’s scores of illegal tour guides, of whom there are at least 187, according to recent figures. Some of them even go on safari in the suburbs.

Now, Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde has vowed to clamp down on these operators, with fines of up to R10 000.

At a meeting on Friday, involving many of the tourism industry’s biggest players, including the Cape Town Tourist Guides’ Association, it was unanimously decided a hard line had to be taken against the growing problem of guides operating without proper certification.

In South Africa tour guides must apply for badges, granting them the right to lead groups up mountains and through parks or culturally significant areas such as the Bo-Kaap.

To earn the badges guides must complete first-aid training and prove they are qualified to lead the tour.

Illegal operators skip this part of the process, and are liable to spread false information and ultimately “rip off” Cape Town’s visitors.

And because these guides have not been trained in first-aid or disaster management, they are not reliable when something goes wrong.

“This is very damaging to us as a brand and the potential of attracting tourists,” said Winde.

Until now, guides have not been fined despite laws being in place, but this is set to change in the coming weeks. A meeting with the province’s tour guides would take place soon, following which any illegal operators would be prosecuted.

“I will lay a formal charge with the police and make sure this happens,” Winde warned.

Sally Petersen, owner of AWOL Tours, said there were quite a few companies in Cape Town that employed mainly untrained and uncertified guides, which was unfair because every two years her company’s guides were forced to go for training and apply to renew their badges while illegal operators “stole” their business.

“Twice I’ve reported illegal tour guides, but they didn’t do anything about it,” she said.

These guides were mostly students or foreigners who were unqualified and lacked in-depth knowledge of the areas they were operating in, while many of her guides had been active for more than 10 years.

“If they aren’t going to police this, then they may as well scrap the whole badge system. They let unqualified people operate without an issue, why then must I pay?” - Cape Argus

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