Red Dirt Tours is a Savannah Guides Enterprise

Vicki Jones has proudly been an accredited Savannah Guide since 1998 and once establishing Red Dirt Tours in 2015 it was a natural progression for the business to be an accredited  enterprise as a part of the organisation as well.

I believe that finding a professional industry organisation like Savannah Guides has helped me to gain skills and networks I would never have found otherwise. As a young tour guide I found like minded guides I could learn from - more experienced guides, specialists in their field, all willing to impart their knowledge and all keen to learn. Yes, some of them were older than I was.

When I wanted to learn more about different tourism businesses and the business of a not for profit and membership organisation, the opportunities were there for me to learn from others again. The mentoring provided in volunteer positions within the organisation allowed me to build a very good skills base that I was able to continue learning from. I gained skills and knowledge in fields I didn't have experience to get a job in, and that gave me the opportunity to get a job in that field and to build my own business.

​I've given back a fair bit of time and mentoring to Savannah Guides over the years and I continue to try and help others within (and outside of) Savannah Guides where I can, but these days I get a bit caught up running my own Savannah Guides accredited enterprise - Red Dirt Tours!

About Savannah Guides

Savannah Guides is a not for profit organisation comprising a network of professional tour guides and operators across Australia’s vast tropical savannahs. It was established in 1988 with the original purpose to provide access for visitors to unique natural features in a manner which protected them; and to provide a benchmark of professionalism and a platform through which members could learn from each other and from specialists in their field. This purpose and philosophy remains today. 

The organisation accredits both operators and individuals. An individual Savannah Guide is recognised as a person who has the knowledge, professionalism and training required by the organisation, including assessment by his/her peers, and is someone at the pinnacle of the guiding profession.

​Savannah Guides Enterprises must incorporate natural and/or cultural interpretive activities as a prominent part of their business and demonstrate a commitment to conservation values and ongoing professional development. Both Enterprise and Individual members must meet strict standards of operation and abide by professional Codes of Conduct.
 
Training, knowledge and professionalism are fundamental to Savannah Guides’ operating philosophy. Two training or field schools are conducted each year, at varying locations, and feature experts in related fields including ecology, land management and tourism. These field schools are critical to the training and education provided to both members and friends of the organisation.  In addition, they provide members with an invaluable opportunity to meet, interact with, and learn from each other.

Learn more about Savannah Guides and become a Friend of the organisation by visiting their website.