Field guides graduate in Caprivi

To improve the quality of Namibian field guides and help boost the tourism contribution to the economy, the British High Commission donated N$94,359 to a new training school in the Caprivi Region.  The funds received were used to train field guides to officially become trainers and to construct facilities at the proposed centre run by African Monarch.

An official graduation ceremony for the first field guides who successfully completed the course at Africa Monarch Training School was held on Monday 29 July 2013.  The guides are now official field guide trainers for African Monarch.

British High Commissioner Her Excellency Mrs. Marianne Young congratulated the first trainees at the graduation ceremony and said: ‘Through enhancing the skills and abilities of Namibian field guides we strive to ensure a top notch experience for British and other visitors to this beautiful country’. 

MET Director of Tourism, Sem Shikongo, British High Commissioner H.E. Marianne Young, African Monarch Director Danica Smith, Trainer Johan Fourie and the four successful participants

The longer term impact of an established training facility and an internationally recognised qualification and standard will make Namibia more marketable, and increase visitor numbers from the UK and wider Europe to Namibia to the county’s benefit. 

Africa Monarch Training School is the first of its kind in Namibia and will help meet a niche training need and improve the quality of education to students in the tourism sector.

With assistance from the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) and approval from Namibian Training Authority (NTA), four distinct elements of training were identified and were offered to four trainee field guides: 1) Conduct a short tourist experience, 2) Prepare to conduct a short tourist experience, 3) Lead tourists on a short adventure experience, 4) View potentially dangerous animals.