To make sure local tourist guides uphold their resilience in the middle of the pandemic, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is working with the Sabah Tourist Guides Association (STGA) in a partnership.
This association was done to reinvent travel tours and experiences that are targeted both to the local markets and broader audiences through the internet.
Providing local tourist guides with STB-sponsored Online Guided Tour (OGT) courses from October 2021 are some the efforts included in this partnership. Training them to become proficient in leading virtual tours is also included.
To give travellers a better understanding of places, people, and culture, STB chief executive officer, Noredah Othman, considers that tourist guiding is still necessary. “The tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. However, even in the absence of tourists, we must continue to look ahead and innovate to keep tourism going, and this is impossible without the assistance of our professional tour guides.”
“As there are still restrictions on travel, OGT is the best way to show the world what Sabah has to offer.”
“Therefore, local guides are and have always been the perfect advocates for our tourism because they are remarkable storytellers with the ability to attract tourists to visit Sabah,” she said.
Noredah also mentioned that the ongoing virtual tour association pinpointed the significance of the role of the local guides in promoting Sabah by narrating stories on history, World War 2, traditional plants, wildlife, and even ancient stone monuments, among others.
Tags: Sabah tourism, Sabah Tourist Guides Association (STGA)
