Enhancing the image of guides

By Ashok Sharda
President, Tourist Guides Federation of India

No other segment of the tourism industry is a direct creation of the ministry of tourism, but the guides. But the ministry fails to take care of them, so much so that they aren't even listed on its site.

The issues that are pending in front of the association are - firstly, guidelines for the guides should be imposed unilaterally and the decision that allows the guides to take up part-time employment has been strongly opposed by the association. This would also mean that the big companies will employ all the good guides.

Secondly, the tour operators' guidelines should be strictly monitored and no private shopping practice should be encouraged. We strongly disapprove of this. Thirdly, before the new guides are inducted into a training programme, an assessment should be made to determine the number of guides that are required. Overcrowding will only encourage exploitation and malpractice and also raise the number of unemployed qualified people. The supply should be as per the demand and not more.

The association also feels that the need right now is to develop infrastructure in terms of airports and hotels, increasing flight routes and air seats. Luxury tax should be done away with and a single-window system should be brought in place. The association is also fighting to get access to all the state archeological and private museums where guides are not usually allowed. There should be one authority for this and their licenses should be countersigned by both the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Arts & Culture, allowing them to work smoothly.

The state tourism departments should train guides for tourism sites of a particular state that have ministry centres. This will help avoid duplication. Trained guides tend to migrate to cities leaving those places without any guides. An image enhancement of the guides should be undertaken and named as 'guide lecturer' that will separate them from the local guide. Due respect should be given in the meetings held by the tourism department involving discussion on any matter related to them.

With regards to wages, TGFI has continuously appealed to IATO for revision of rates. Keeping in mind the growth in the industry there should be a raise of 15-20 per cent in the wages which has never been followed by the tour operators thereby forcing the guides to work on lower wages. Also, the tour operators use unauthorised guides on the excuse that they are not able to find listed guides. But the question is how they are able to find the unlisted guides so easily. This is possible only because of the nexus between them and the shopkeepers. Tourism should be brought under the concurrent list so that violation of any kind can be checked.