Tour driver guides listen in during the training. The training was aimed at equipping the participants with destination knowledge

 

Nairobi, Thursday October 21, 2020: The tourism sector should invest in capacity building among tour guides to enhance visitor experience among travelers into the country.

 

This was said during a capacity building workshop for tour driver guides in Nairobi organised by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO).

 

The training was aimed at equipping the participants with destination knowledge, customer experience skills and image building as part of destination assurances of readiness for business.

 

The tour driver guides were also taken through the implementation of Tourism and Travel Safety protocols to mitigate against covid-19 pandemic.

 

KTB CEO Dr Betty Radier said that tour guide drivers play an integral role in the tourism ecosystem being the first point of interaction with visitors upon them arriving into the country. She said that the training will go a long way in equipping them with destination information and skills to better handle the visitors.

 

“Tour driver guides have a key role in the tourism service chain. They play the role of destination brand ambassadors through their interactions with visitors. They have a lot of influence on how visitors view and experience the destination. The information they share with their clients can either build or destroy perceptions about the destination”, Says the CEO

 

She added that with destination currently looking to bounce back from the effects of the coronavirus crisis, tour guides will be critical in ensuring that tourists arriving into the country have a memorable experience that will persuade them to visit again and even pull others to the destination.

 

KATO CEO, Fred Kaigua said that the training was key to tour operators and the destination because it created a platform for exchange and interaction with industry players.

 

 

“We solely depend on tourists for our livelihood and therefore it is in our interest that when the visitors come here, they get the best experiences and services possible. This is what will make sure that they come back and even pull more people into Kenya, which means more business for us and growth of the industry,” He said.

 

Kaigwa disclosed that the industry will continue to partner with other stakeholders to offer refresher training sessions to tour guides to build on existing capacity on destination product knowledge.  About 40 tour guides benefited from a one-day training.