A total of 60 unemployed Joburgers between the ages of 18 and 25, the majority being women, have been recruited by Joburg Tourism to become tourism monitors for the City of Johannesburg’s tourism department.
Leah Knott, the MMC of Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg, proudly announced their recruitment. “Tourism plays a vital role in driving the implementation of the City’s economic growth and employment strategy.
“Joburg Tourism has partnered with the National Department of Tourism (NDT) and the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) to implement a tourism safety programme that will involve key tourism sites and attractions [and those who have been employed.] These attractions will be included as part of the pilot project for Tourism Monitors for 36 months,” Knott said.
The programme was introduced to enhance safety and the visitor experience in Joburg. Those recruited will each receive a stipend and uniform.
“They will also receive accredited and non-accredited training, mentorship, and practical work experience. The training comprises first aid, customer care, communication skills, service excellence, tourism information, basic site tour guiding, community patrolling and crime spotting.”
The objective of the training, according to Knott, is to ensure that tourism attractions and sites are safer by people monitoring them and that the staff is more customer-centric.
This programme essentially prepares unemployed people to become part of the tourism workforce in South Africa.
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