Dawos: Guides need knowledge

KUALA LUMPUR: The perception of travel operators must change, particularly in the eco-tourism sector, in order to attract more visitors, said Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit. He said tour operators from small- and medium-sized enterprises were not trained enough to deal with tourists and their questions. “What tourists need is to be directed. If a tourist asks questions, the tour operator must be able to give a decent and logical answer,” he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday. Dawos said he would have a dialogue with this group of tour operators after Hari Raya to discuss the matter.

“We have to change their attitude and perception so they are better equipped with knowledge. Why call them tour guides when we can call them tour directors instead? That way, they will do everything. “From there, we can attract more qualified individuals. After that, we can continue to train and retrain them to maintain their knowledge,” said Dawos. Association president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said it would not stop tourists from visiting Indonesia despite the recent anti-Malaysia incidents there. “We will advise them accordingly but if tourists still want to go to Indonesia, we cannot stop them,” he said.

The event, which kicked off yesterday, will run until Sunday. Matta Fair organising chairman John Tan said there were 860 booths at the fair, including those of national and state tourism bodies, resorts and airlines. “We are maintaining our target of 80,000 visitors and charting RM90mil in turnover from this exhibition,” said Tan.

-thestar online.