Stayin’ alive with Khiri Travel guides

BANGKOK – Thirty-one Khiri Travel tour guides from around Thailand received safety and responsible tourism training on 3 October in Bangkok. Khiri Travel brought in an external medical practices company, Emergency Medical Services, to teach CPR. Following that there was a session on responsible tourism led by Khiri’s Sustainability and Responsible Tourism Manager, Graham Read.
 

The CPR training took 1.5 hours with extra practical tips and inspiration from a YouTube video featuring Vinnie Jones and the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive soundtrack showing that emergency CPR isn’t as hard as it sounds. This was followed by hands-on practice using dummies.
 

The responsible tourism session, led by Read, was an interactive session with a focus on sensitive tourism activities such as elephants in tourism, orphanage tourism, and tourism in remote communities.
 

“Attention was given to raise awareness about how to respond to guests’ requests for locally offered excursions that may not be responsibly operated,” said Read.
 

The guides were also introduced to the eight projects in five countries undertaken by Khiri Travel’s non-profit arm, Khiri Reach.
 

Marc Ruffet Deputy General Manager at Khiri Travel Thailand said an additional objective was to extend good practices in the office to the field. “It’s all about increasing the quality of our services to guests and to share Khiri’s values around the country through all of our guides.“
 

Guide training sessions take place twice a year at Khiri Travel Thailand, which together with the other Khiri destinations, is working towards Travelife certification.