MEDIA RELEASE: 4 November 2013
Tour guides invited to register for world-class training program
Wet Tropics Tour Guides will have the unique opportunity to update their knowledge and skills of the World Heritage Area in another exclusive field school scheduled for 6-7 December on the Tropical Coast around Tully Valley and Mission Beach.
As places are limited, tour guides are now invited to register for two days of in-field workshops and professional development sessions. The field school will bring together tour guides, tourism businesses, visitor information staff, land managers, Traditional Owners, local communities, researchers and government agencies for valuable information sharing and network building.
The Wet Tropics Tour Guide Training Program was initiated last year by the Wet Tropics Management Authority in partnership with the regional tourism industry to improve the presentation of the region’s world heritage values to our visitors. The initiative includes a comprehensive online course and bi-annual field schools.
The first field school under the training program was held last December in and around Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation region. Fifty guides took part in the field school; twenty three of these are now certified Wet Tropics Tour Guides. Having also completed the online course they are able to participate in a tour guide network.
Participating tour guide Stephen Grainger said of the training program “Excellent training and opportunity for networking. Definitely invaluable to the promotion, protection and interpretation of the Wet Tropics”.
Executive Director of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Andrew Maclean said, “Our aim is to work with tour guides and employers to build on the region’s reputation as a high quality destination providing authentic rainforest tourism experiences.”
“We are hosting this next guide school around Tully Valley and Mission Beach because of its exceptional natural beauty, established and developing attractions and the diversity of experiences on offer to visitors to that part of the Wet Tropics region,” Mr Maclean added.
“The Wet Tropics Tour Guides Network provides our guides with a crucial link to experts, management agencies, scientists and Traditional Owners; affording them the opportunity to network and continually improve the knowledge capacity of the guiding fraternity of Far North Queensland,” Mr Maclean said.
“It’s also important to recognise the tremendous amount of information imparted by others who are in contact with visitors in and around the World Heritage Area - such as tour bus drivers and visitor information centre volunteers and staff. At the end of the day, the aim of the training is to reaffirm the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area’s position as a must-do destination,” added Mr Maclean.
Those interested in taking part in the third Wet Tropics Tour Guide Field School to be held on 6-7 December at Tully Valley and Mission Beach as well as joining the Wet Tropics Guides Network this year can register their interest by emailing or or visit www.wettropics.gov.au/tour-guide-training to download the program and registration form.
ENDS/
For interviews and comments contact:
Mr Andrew Maclean, Executive Director, Wet Tropics Management Authority
Ph: 4241 0501 Mob: 0417 052495
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Additional information
The Wet Tropics Management Authority worked with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Savannah Guides Ltd, Industry Accreditation, tourism operators and guides to develop the tour guide program that will assist the industry to enhance and develop new world-class visitor experiences, in and around the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
The guide training school on 6 - 7 December will be based at Echo Creek in the Tully Valley. The program includes an Indigenous cultural walk with Traditional Owners, interactive workshops on Wet Tropics plant identification, and insects, bird walk, tropical fruit safari tasting, cassowary conservation presentations, and post cyclone flora and fauna recovery field trip to Lacey Creek at Djiru National Park at Mission Beach.
Subjects covered will include indigenous cultural protocols, world-heritage values, new adventure tourism experiences, food tourism, and the fauna and flora of the Wet Tropics.
A 25th anniversary birthday party will also be held to celebrate the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area with the field school participants to mark this community milestone.
Wet Tropics Management Authority
Level 1, Cairns Corporate Tower, 15 Lake Street, Cairns 4870
PO Box 2050 Cairns Qld 4870
Telephone: (07) 4052 0555 Facsimile: (07) 4031 1364
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