Covid exodus of experienced nature guides hampers boom in outdoor tourism

After narrowly surviving Covid restrictions, Australia’s nature and adventure tourism industries are grappling with a new problem: a shortage of experienced guides, hampering a post-pandemic surge in demand.

Thelma Watkins, 74, abseils on Kunanyi/Mount Wellington in Hobart with Sam Cooper, a trainee guide with Tasmanian adventure tourism business Aardvark Adventures. Picture: Peter Mathew

After narrowly surviving Covid restrictions, Australia’s nature and adventure tourism industries are grappling with a new problem: a shortage of experienced guides, hampering a post-pandemic surge in demand.

Companies offering nature-based experiences across multiple states told The Australian many experienced guides quit during Covid, in favour of safer jobs or further study. With Australians once again embracing travel and outdoor experiences, the industry had found itself without sufficient experienced staff to meet demand.

“A lot of guides perhaps took the opportunity (of Covid lockdowns) to go and do that next thing in their life,” said Jason Little, Trek Tours Australia business development manager.

“It’s an industry where retention has been a problem and that has become a bigger problem. The shortage is in skilled, qualified people who have led multiple trips – 10 trips, 20 trips – and who have a broad experience base.”

Australians are again embracing travel and outdoor experiences, but the industry has found itself without sufficient experienced staff to meet demand. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Tasmanian Walking Company has had a similar experience. “We have been scrambling,” TWC general manager Heath Garratt said.

“This has been a really busy period, which is great, but when we’re just on recovery and short of guides, it’s made it real tricky.”

Industry leaders warned all operators needed to carefully adapt, bringing on new guides but ensuring the toughest and most challenging treks and experiences were not booked if experienced hands were unavailable.

Several operators expressed concern about the declining volume and standards of outdoor guides produced via TAFE systems, and were instead bolstering internal training and urging others to do likewise.

“We need to strengthen our internal practices and make sure we get our training up to scratch,” Mr Garratt said. “It’s a given at the moment that, in light of the strength of the industry, we are going to need to take on guides that are less experienced, less qualified than previously.

“It’s upon us, not just as an operator but also the broader industry, to make sure we’ve got those internal training and ongoing professional development practices in place.”

Some operators are concerned at the use of inexperienced, inadequately trained guides on treks and adventure experiences such as rafting and abseiling.

Phil Harris, owner of Tasmania’s Aardvark Adventures, said the shortage of outdoor guides had exacerbated the proliferation of poorly trained and inexperienced operators.

“Some companies will just use anybody,” Mr Harris said. “A lot of TAFE-trained guides Australia-wide need to have their qualifications taken off them, because they are not properly trained and there are dangerous procedures (occurring). If you’re going to have your kids hang off an abseil, you don’t want someone with just five days’ experience.”

He believed guide qualifications should be based on apprenticeship-style on-the-job training provided by adventure tourism companies.

There appeared to be little effort by regulatory authorities, Mr Harris said, to stamp out unlicensed operators who lacked the workers’ compensation, public liability and detailed procedures of licensed outfits.