Ensuring that the services offered within the country’s growing tourism sector are of high standards, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Kamrul Baksh last week said taxi drivers are undergoing tourism training.
As part of efforts to train all tourism operators, the GTA last month conducted a Tourism Ambassador Training for taxi drivers in Region Two. During a recent interview with the News Room, Baksh said these sessions are important because of the vital role these persons play in the tourism sector.
“We are placing emphasis on the service delivery for taxi drivers, so it’s not just the commuting and making it part of a transaction but it’s actually part of the experience for persons and travelers moving from one part of Guyana to another.
“That experience counts for a lot and we want to ensure that while we encourage safety, the experience is pleasant,” Baksh said.
He said the turnout for the training was twice as seen previously, with 20 persons now provided with the skillset to make a good impression the country for tourists.
During these training sessions, the individuals are told of ways they can make the commute better for tourists. This is important because ideally, a tourist’s first contact within the country is their commute from the port of entry to their hotel or touring site.
Several tourism agencies have recognised the need for this sort of service to be as efficient and pleasant as possible.
But this is not the only area the training is offered. This month there was also major focus on the first response for medical emergencies and first aid training to ensure that individuals within the sector are capable of providing immediate medical services should an emergency arise.
About 17 persons were trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and this is a mandatory training for becoming a licenced tour operator with the GTA.
“We are seeing a higher number of persons enrolling for training programmes with us…that’s a good sign, it’s becoming of interest, you know you want to standout, everybody wants to provide service with value and service with difference,” the Director said.
Baksh revealed that 2,000 persons were trained by the GTA in several focal areas within the sector and this year, this amount is expected to increase.
