| Danial Norjidi |
TWO participants who recently received certificates for completing the Basic Tourist Guide Course shared that they gained much by taking part in the course, describing it as worthwhile and useful.
The two participants were among 23 who completed the seventh iteration of the course and received certificates during a presentation ceremony on Saturday.
Nur ‘Afiqah Nasuha binti Abdul Ghani told the Bulletin, “It was a 10-day course and through the course itself we actually learnt about Brunei, safety, etiquette and also about the flora and fauna in Brunei.
“It was an in-depth kind of thing to actually introduce us to how we should behave as tourist guides. It was very useful for me.”
On whether she feels more equipped as a tourist guide now, she said, “Definitely,” noting that as part of the course the participants were taken for a two-day, one-night trip in Temburong. “There was no cell phone reception. We were completely back to nature. As a tourist guide I feel that experience really helped me because it made me realise I needed to be able to help tourists without the help of a phone.”
She highlighted, “For people curious about the course, there’s nothing to lose by taking the course, because you gain knowledge and you gain a lot of self-confidence as well.”
Pengiran Haji Md Yusri bin Pengiran Haji Md Yusof, who has more than 20 years’ experience as a tourist guide said the course is very useful, because it teaches good basic skills of communication.
“That’s very important – intercultural communication skills. To be a tour guide, you really need to have acquired and learnt these communication skills. It’s very important – guiding techniques, the dos and the don’ts, and factual, concise and complete information is vital for all tour guides.
“This course provides all the needs that a tour guide should have,” he said, noting that it is good not just for new tour guides, but also those who are experienced, as tourism education changes every year and skills are always upgraded.
“I would suggest that those who are interested to attend this 10-day course,” he added.
The Basic Tourist Guide Course was introduced on October 24, 2016 and it is one of the prerequisites of the Tourism Development Department to obtain a tourist guide licence.
The Basic Tourist Guide Course is carried out in collaboration between the Tourism Development Department and Laksamana College of Business, an institution appointed to conduct the course.
The course is part of the Tourism Development Department’s efforts to enhance and strengthen the skills of tourist guides in the country. It is also aimed at opening up job opportunities for locals, especially youth in the country.