Guiding light for guides

Calling for the need of insurance and pension benefits for RLGs, Dr Ajay Singh, President, TGFI, talks about challenges faced by tour guides in India.

Manas Dwivedi

The apex organisation of regional level guides of India, Tourist Guides’ Federation of India (TGFI) has a strong network of over 4600 tour guides across the country. Talking about the aim and agenda of the federation, Dr Ajay Singh, President, TGFI says “We have around 4600 Regional Level Guides (RLGs) spread across all over India. We have 17 associations which are members of TGFI and are operational under one umbrella.”

Talking about the challenges faced by tour guides, Singh says that a number of measures should be taken to resolve the issues. “Unauthorised guides are the biggest challenge we are facing. They are affecting our business since a number of tour operators hire them because their charges are cheaper. The unauthorised guides are largely untrained and are also a threat to the tourist’s security. In all the casualties involving tour guides, 98 per cent of them are because of unauthorised tour guides.”

Unauthorised guides are the biggest challenge who are affecting our business since many tour operators hire them because their charges are cheaper

“All the RLGs are trained and licensed by the Ministry of tourism, Government of India and are well equipped with knowledge of destination and different languages to make every traveller’s journey merrier. I urge tour operators to only use RLGs at all the major tourist spots,” he added.

Emphasising on the need of a national tourism act, Singh says, “The tourism industry need a strong tourism act which can protect the rights of not just tour guides but tour operators and other people of the industry.” He also stressed on improving, promoting and strengthening tourism in India with dedicated guidelines for the tourism industry.

Singh also appeals to the MOT to organise more language courses for tour guides to train them in foreign languages.