Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Tourist guides as 'backbone and ambassadors' of Sarawak's tourism industry


By Magdalene Rogers

KUCHING - Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said his ministry has worked out with the federal authority "sometime ago" to come out with study syllabuses so that the East Malaysian tour guides in Sabah and Sarawak can conduct tours within the states' levels.

Wong, speaking at the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association, which celebrated the launching of its "Sarawak Tourist Guides Directory", with the theme: "Cowboy Nite" on Saturday, said that, essentially, the guides have a "vocation which is just not another job but something they enjoy doing."

He added that the tourist guides, whom he described as "the backbone and ambassadors of the tourism industry", are also "performing multi-dimensional roles" that helps to promote the tourism industry in the State.

Wong, who is also Second Finance Minister, said that his ministry has allocated a "certain amount of funds" to the association for its members to pursue courses and seminars so as to gain knowledge and improved their linguistic abilities.

"You need to have a proficiency in English, in Japanese, or Korean and to have communication skills as well as knowledgeable in history, geography and current affairs to become professional tour guides," he said, citing the importance of those courses and seminars.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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