Below is a letter from Karin Muecke from Oceanview Tours – a specialist in private luxury tours of the Cape Town area and Garden Route – regarding Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company’s policy on entry for tour guides. Also see Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’s response below.
Dear Editor,
I would like to make you and all tourism companies working in the Cape Town area aware of the new policy of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company that tour guides are only allowed to accompany their clients if there are at least two visitors. I happened to be in a situation today of accompanying only one French journalist who was here on invitation of SA Tourism and I was initially not allowed to accompany my client up in the cable car. It was extremely embarrassing to be treated this way in front of my client and it certainly did not make a good impression. Even in front of my client, I was informed by a manager that this was the policy and that they were under strict instructions to follow this policy.
After complaining for about 10 minutes and explaining how terrible this looks in front of visiting journalists, they did finally let me accompany my client. I feel that this new policy was not published and communicated sufficiently to be public knowledge in the tourism community and I also feel that the policy should be seriously reconsidered.
In my 10 years of working as a tourist guide, I have only had single travelling clients four times, and twice they were journalists.
I would appreciate your publicity and help to convince the TMACC to change this policy as soon as possible.
Thank you very much
Karin Muecke- Oceanview Tours
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’s Response:
Table Mountain Cableway’s policy around free entry for tour guides is not a new one. For the past six years the cableway has had this policy that allows free entry to registered tour guides if they accompany a minimum of two guests. We do communicate this extensively via our quarterly Tour Operator Newsletter, educationals and industry organisations such as the Cape Tourist Guide Association (CTGA). We have also requested that the CTGA include this information in its newsletters.
We have, however, noticed that more guides are visiting with single clients and because of this it was decided that the Duty Manager will make a call on the day. We will be reviewing our Free Entry for Tour Guides policy over the next couple of weeks.
Kind regards,
Collette Van Aswegen- Marketing Manager Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company
What do you think of the TMACC’s tour guide entry policy? Have you experienced similar problems? Let us know by adding your comment below.
Dear Editor,
I would like to make you and all tourism companies working in the Cape Town area aware of the new policy of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company that tour guides are only allowed to accompany their clients if there are at least two visitors. I happened to be in a situation today of accompanying only one French journalist who was here on invitation of SA Tourism and I was initially not allowed to accompany my client up in the cable car. It was extremely embarrassing to be treated this way in front of my client and it certainly did not make a good impression. Even in front of my client, I was informed by a manager that this was the policy and that they were under strict instructions to follow this policy.
After complaining for about 10 minutes and explaining how terrible this looks in front of visiting journalists, they did finally let me accompany my client. I feel that this new policy was not published and communicated sufficiently to be public knowledge in the tourism community and I also feel that the policy should be seriously reconsidered.
In my 10 years of working as a tourist guide, I have only had single travelling clients four times, and twice they were journalists.
I would appreciate your publicity and help to convince the TMACC to change this policy as soon as possible.
Thank you very much
Karin Muecke- Oceanview Tours
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’s Response:
Table Mountain Cableway’s policy around free entry for tour guides is not a new one. For the past six years the cableway has had this policy that allows free entry to registered tour guides if they accompany a minimum of two guests. We do communicate this extensively via our quarterly Tour Operator Newsletter, educationals and industry organisations such as the Cape Tourist Guide Association (CTGA). We have also requested that the CTGA include this information in its newsletters.
We have, however, noticed that more guides are visiting with single clients and because of this it was decided that the Duty Manager will make a call on the day. We will be reviewing our Free Entry for Tour Guides policy over the next couple of weeks.
Kind regards,
Collette Van Aswegen- Marketing Manager Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company
What do you think of the TMACC’s tour guide entry policy? Have you experienced similar problems? Let us know by adding your comment below.
