THE Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Professor Abdallah Maghembe, is set to grace the first ever inaugural ceremony of the Tour Guide Awards in East Africa, slated for May 28, in Arusha.
The Chairman of Tanzania Tour Guides Association (TTGA), Mr Sadock Zakayo, said here yesterday that Tanzania has emerged the first among other East African countries to come up with such innovation.
Mr Zakayo noted that guides and porters are virtual ambassadors of Tanzania to the outside world as they stay with tourists most of the time in their tour of the country. This being the case, TTGA has come up with the awards so as to identify the best ambassadors and create role models for others.
“For more than 90 per cent of the time when tourists are in Tanzania they stay with guides and porters. They are the ones to dictate the fate of the economy. The tourists may come back and even invest if they are treated well or move to other countries if the case is the opposite.
“We have this inaugural ceremony, the first of its kind in East Africa and we hope the minister will usher in a new spirit so that guides and porters work diligently on one side, but also get well paid by the tour companies and agents,” said Mr Zakayo.
The chairman noted that other targets of the awards are to involve all guides in efforts to spearhead hospitality in the sector, get a real and best tourism ambassador in the country, celebrate success in the quarter and that all terms and conditions of getting the winner have been complied with.
TTGA launched Best Guide Awards 2016, whereby out of 757 nominees in three categories, nine have been picked and finalization of the contest will take place on May 28. The Chairman of the Awards Programme and Head of the Judges’ Panel, Mr Vedasto Izoba, mentioned the contestants as Nsiande Gabriel, Peter Moshi and Arnold Moshi from the Safari category.
From the Mountain Category are Boniface Kunda, Bihosti Kyara and Victor Mmari. Porters who made it to the last three are Nehemia Nsabila, Said Kizamli and Aristides Assey. Mr Izoba said up to yesterday some 6,296 votes had been cast and the exercise goes on until May 28. He noted that leaders and directors of different corporations and institutions will attend the occasion.
TTGA has been pressurizing tour operators to implement the Government Notice No. 228/2009 that stipulates that tourist agencies and companies should pay a guide 20 US dollars, a cook 15 US dollars and a porter 10 US dollars per day. Tour companies are yet to offer contracts and agreed payments to guides and porters.
Mr Zakayo noted that guides and porters are virtual ambassadors of Tanzania to the outside world as they stay with tourists most of the time in their tour of the country. This being the case, TTGA has come up with the awards so as to identify the best ambassadors and create role models for others.
“For more than 90 per cent of the time when tourists are in Tanzania they stay with guides and porters. They are the ones to dictate the fate of the economy. The tourists may come back and even invest if they are treated well or move to other countries if the case is the opposite.
“We have this inaugural ceremony, the first of its kind in East Africa and we hope the minister will usher in a new spirit so that guides and porters work diligently on one side, but also get well paid by the tour companies and agents,” said Mr Zakayo.
The chairman noted that other targets of the awards are to involve all guides in efforts to spearhead hospitality in the sector, get a real and best tourism ambassador in the country, celebrate success in the quarter and that all terms and conditions of getting the winner have been complied with.
TTGA launched Best Guide Awards 2016, whereby out of 757 nominees in three categories, nine have been picked and finalization of the contest will take place on May 28. The Chairman of the Awards Programme and Head of the Judges’ Panel, Mr Vedasto Izoba, mentioned the contestants as Nsiande Gabriel, Peter Moshi and Arnold Moshi from the Safari category.
From the Mountain Category are Boniface Kunda, Bihosti Kyara and Victor Mmari. Porters who made it to the last three are Nehemia Nsabila, Said Kizamli and Aristides Assey. Mr Izoba said up to yesterday some 6,296 votes had been cast and the exercise goes on until May 28. He noted that leaders and directors of different corporations and institutions will attend the occasion.
TTGA has been pressurizing tour operators to implement the Government Notice No. 228/2009 that stipulates that tourist agencies and companies should pay a guide 20 US dollars, a cook 15 US dollars and a porter 10 US dollars per day. Tour companies are yet to offer contracts and agreed payments to guides and porters.
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