Madagascar celebrated International Tourist Guides Day yesterday by organizing a conference-debate at the Town Hall in Analakely.
“The attractiveness of the profession of tourist guide”, being the theme chosen by the National Association of Guides (ANG) on this occasion. Indeed, “ It is a profession that interests many young people. We must also prepare the next generation by working with the National Institutes to provide training in this area. », raised Bodomanana Rasolohery, president of the ANG. This association, bringing together around sixty general and specialized professional guides, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. “ Our mission is to organize educational tours and share our knowledge and passion about the nature and beauty of the Big Island to tourists. We thus encourage young people who are attracted to this profession to protect the environment and conserve our nature and our biodiversity which constitute a comparative advantage for Madagascar. Our common goal is to develop tourism “, she added.
Insufficient number
In addition, all stakeholders recognize that the number of operational tourist guides remains insufficient. “ The National Federation of Guides (FNG), bringing together 38 associations in Madagascar, currently has 2,060 tourist guides, nearly 99% of whom are “freelancers” who work on their own account. Nearly 62% of them are local and regional guides, or they specialize only in a specific locality or in Protected Areas. There are also accompanying guides at the national level, guides specialized in the fields of ethno-botany, ornithology, herpetology, primatology and linguistics such as English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. However, we are unable to satisfy demand, especially during the peak tourist season. », said Manitra Randriambololona, the president of the FNG. And he continues that guides play an important role in the promotion of green and sustainable tourism given that they contribute to raising awareness among local communities in terms of preserving natural resources. Indeed, the arrival of tourists creates jobs and sources of income for the local population.
Ambassadors of Madagascar
At the same time, the chief of staff of the Minister of Tourism and Crafts, Diana Rasoanaivo mentioned that tourist guides constitute the greatest ambassadors of Madagascar who are in direct contact with tourists. “ It is a living encyclopedia because they have a lot of knowledge while mastering different languages. They are also travel facilitators while accompanying and caring for tourists in case of illness. They thus establish a bond of friendship with the travelers, who in turn, also become Ambassadors of the Madagascar destination. Furthermore, we ask guides to register for free in the self-census platform to formalize themselves. We have categorized them according to well-defined criteria. Training standards for the guiding profession are also validated “, she continued. In all, “ The profession of tourist guide constitutes an essential link in the tourism value chain. Strengthening their skills is essential in order to offer better service to tourists and subsequently become an International Tour Leader », concluded Tojo Lytah Razafimahefa, the PCA of the Madagascar Tourism Confederation.
Navalona R.