Tourist guides attend course on geopark guiding

KUCHING: Thirty-five Regional Specific Tourist Guides (RSTGs) and five Sarawak Park Guides attended an advanced course of geosites of West Sarawak from Nov 30-Dec 2 here.

The course was organised by the Eco-tourism and Community-Based Tourism Section, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts in collaboration with senior tour guide, Edward Lakin Mansel and geologists John Joseph Jinap and Mohamad Ashreen Zulkapli from the Department of Minerals & Geoscience, Sarawak. 

Geoparks are places where landscapes with outstanding geological heritage are used to support sustainable development; this is achieved through conservation, education, interpretation and nature-based tourism.

But all this while tourists guides have been employing the same technique with no proper storyline to connect the various subjects narrated by them in the field.

The purpose therefore was to explore, develop and advocate the links between geological heritage and all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritages. 

Tour guides were field trained to recognise the geological features, landforms, soils and vegetation types. 

Guides are also expected to know about the history, migration of the various local inhabitants including their cultures, traditional beliefs and practices.