Tourist Guides Future

Background

Tourist Guide in Sabah is in dilemma, the emotions felt by most senior tourist guides in Sabah is like they are on a sinking ship although in general the Sabah tourism industry is thriving in this material time. This emotion is difficult to be understood by those outside of the tourist guiding industry more so the public.

In Malaysia and especially in Sabah, to be a license tourist guide one is required to take a The Basic Tourist Guide Course at private tourism institution, passed the course and hold a tourist guide license issue by the ministry of tourism (MOTAC – a Federal Government Agency).

Not everyone can enter, you need to be accepted by the institution with at least a pass in SPM. Interestingly over the years the numbers of highly work experience and educated individual even those with master degree has took on this course, this shows that in a pool of tourist guides you will find a diverse range of background in education and work experience individuals.

Most senior tourist and the award winning tourist guides in Sabah is a member of Sabah Tourist Guides Association known as STGA.

STGA is no longer a member of Malaysia Tourist Guide Council (MTGC) as they pull out from MTGC years ago for their failure to protect the interest of STGA and her members.

Since leaving MTGC, STGA became a member of the World Federation of Tourist Guides Association (WFTGA) and even have manage to convince the WFTGA to setup the 2nd International Training Centre at University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu , Sabah.

Tourist guiding is an interesting career choice. In Malaysia this career is regulated by the tourism act 1992 where travel agency is required to hire tourist guide or else be prepare to face the stick. Over time this rule is relax and policy were change , for example ; travel agency don’t need a tourist guide on point to point transfer , only require if number of pax is more than 7. I called this the “half leg” policy.

Challenges

Half leg Policy.
Overtime this policy introduces a new threat to the tourism industry in Sabah, we call it the white van problem. The number of white van (unlicensed tourist van) increases at some point airport transfer is break down into van usage so not to use a license tourist guide. Everything else which was part of the tours is loosely break into as point to point transfer.
As much as this half leg policy affecting the tourist guide industry , in a broader perspective it is actually biting the travel agency arse without them really realizing it (most realized it but don’t give a crap).
This white van problem also increses the number of illegal travel agencies. Unfortunately they are just too blinded by their own ego as in for so long the book is in the blue, who gives a shit about the industry.

Most of license travel agency would have the idea idea that it is the enforcement agency role to get the issue fix kind of attitude. I call this the “arse crap attitude”.

On the other hand, Some travel agencies would argue that those illegal travel agencies are those license tourist guide themselves. I would not dispute , its true . now I would like to put on the “arse crap attitude” too. Get them enforcement boys to fix it. LOL

Give the cow some joint.
It is by the same tourism act 1992 that license tourist guide is supposedly not allowed to accept commission. In the interpretation of the act in regards to commission it is interpreted this way. “ a Tourist Guide will get the sticks if a TG is paid certain amount as in commission to bring tourist to a specific shop for “shopping” , I call this give the cow some joint situation “
The give the cow some joint kind of situation is not entirely relevant here in Sabah, such problem arises mainly in west Malaysia. How TG operate in Sabah is different hence such regulation is pretty useless. Just give me one landmark court case that is relevant to this regulation.
None? 1, 2? this prove my point.

The tourism industry is dynamic and more so in this recent times as how business is conducted has change. In Sabah, the English speaking market no longer dominate, thing has change. It is now focus toward the Chinese Speaking Market and with internet of thing, disruptive technologies and foreign national opening up a local travel agencies in Sabah , the challenges and opportunity has become more so dynamic and makes the tourism act 1992 less relevant and powerless.

Illegal Guides.
The number of illegal local tourist guides used by local travel agencies is increasing, while everything else is mere excuses the main reason is economics. Why pay more when you can pay less. This situation is no different with travel agency that uses the tour leader to run tours without hiring local license tourist guides.

Enforcement.
The enforcing agency that enforce the law and regulation in tourism in Sabah is MOTAC , a federal agency. General perspective is that MOTAC Sabah is not doing enough enforcing work hence the dilemma face by the tourism player. As they say, the value of law and regulation is in the enforcement.

Tourism Industry Ecosystem.
It is important that tourism stakeholder understands that need to ensure that the tourism ecosystem is healthy , to deprive one part of the ecosystem will eventually lead to chaos. Tourist Guiding industry is one part of the ecosystem , it is everyone responsibility to ensure that their interest and needs is protected. Unless of course of they are seen nuisance than there must be clarity that the time has come for tourist guiding industry is merely a choice not a need. If they are a choice , perhaps the tourism act 1992 need to be reviewed and change. Hence the solution.

Solutions

Liberization is define as the removal or loosening of restrictions on something, perhaps with all these never ending challenge in the tourism industry as discuss above , perhaps it is best that the tourist guiding industry is liberated.

Why, one ask? they are not getting the protection of the law and regulation created in this challenging times. There will never be enough enforcement work to protect their rice bowl, it has always been survival of the fittest. Most travel agency don’t seems to need them , they are not treated fairly and is seen as a choice more than a need .

Ideas toward liberization

1. State govt declares There is no need to be a licensed tourist guides in Sabah
2. Tourist guiding is industry driven regulated than regulated by government
3. STGA to build apps to have listing of their members , can be viewed by tourist to give reviews and recommendation.
4. Travel agencies could idenfity chosen TG when they need a TG and Select based on availability all seen through the STGA apps.
5. Tourist Guide can sell their tourist guiding services through the apps. Payment and payout through STGA.
6. MATTA sabah work closely with STGA on its implementation
7. Those lousy tourist guide will eventually die out. Leaving the best survive and bring better value for the states .
8. STGA to implement their own law, continuous training and education to all members , through support and help by WFTGA to achieve Professional Stadard and Practices for tourist guiding .
9. TG continue to be a choice more than a need without superficial expectation and fail protection of their welfare.
10. The tourism industry can be more creative in designing tourism programs and shaping its industry based on market needs rather than as per being required by regulation.

*********This article is part of material on a piece titled Sabah TG Future -The Way Forward by ddoughty. This is a personal view of Mr Daniel Doughty, formerly the Chairman of STGA. still in raw format. For your reading pleasure on steemit.

UMS become Global Tourist Guides Learning Center , MOU Signing Ceremony at Macau in 2013 by UMS , WFTGA and STGA