VUSSC/Content/Tourism/Customer Care/Duty Principles and Good Governance

GOOD GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE

As tour guides, you will agree that we bear special responsibilities in anything we do in the way we provide services to tourists. Tour guides are the real ambassadors of the tourist destination. Our behaviour and actions should be beyond reproach. We are guided by a number of key principles. These include


 * Openness and Transparency
 * Accountability
 * Honesty and Integrity
 * Selflessness
 * Objectivity

These principles are also key elements in promoting good governance. Good governance rests on pillars like


 * Openness and transparency
 * Accountability
 * Integrity of systems, integrity of people and integrity of relationships

Increasing openness and transparency improve accountability. Openness and transparency are fundamental to service integrity. In terms of customer service delivery, their importance lies in the need to build confidence and trust between you as a tour guide and the tourists you serve.

A key aspect of this is that the tourist wants to know more about
 * the services provided and the way you operate;
 * legal and cultural requirements;
 * what is being done to improve the quality of tour guiding services in the country;
 * the accurate costs of services.

The above principles are key to promoting healthy practices. Best practices are further enhanced by the code of ethics for tour guides and the customer charters.