As we want to ensure the highest quality in tour operator services in Puerto Peñasco, local tourism service providers will now have to take a training course to certify themselves as Nautical Tourism Hosts.
You’ve probably already heard about the “Sonora con Actitur” program promoted by the Sonora Tourism Promotion Commission (COFETUR). As part of the overall program, on this occasion dozens of tour operators, captains, and boat crews operating tourist boats will take part in training courses to address topics such as tourism culture, quality in service, good practices, first aid, seaman’s book, and environmental care. These courses help strengthen authorization given to Puerto Peñasco by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) as the only Whale Watching port in Sonora.
These measures share the same goal of being able to count on duly trained and certified tourism service providers.
Luis Nuñez Noriega, Coordinator of Tourism Promotion for the State of Sonora, together with Julio Cesar Rascón of the Sonoran Tour Operators Association and representatives of tourist vessels, underscored the importance of having well-trained staff to welcome visitors. This is particularly true for a beach destination that is a launching point for Northwestern Mexico.
Nuñez Noriega detailed, “This is about training nautical guides; so that tourists may be able to easily identify their hosts, and above all as the first point of contacts with visitors. There are no complaints about Puerto Peñasco or observations in that sense, however it is time to improve in order to properly serve both national and foreign tourists, as this is one of the main national and international tourist sites in the state.”
Julio Cesar Rascón, of the National Tour Operators Association for the State of Sonora, expressed they will be working jointly with the Harbormaster’s Office and the Convention & Visitors Bureau, supported by the Tourism Promotion Commission (COFETUR), to create an inventory of service providers recognized as Nautical Tourism Hosts in order to elevate the quality of services while attracting events of a higher national and international standard to Sonora.