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| ‘Professional guides imperative to promote tourism’ | | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | Oct 02
Principal Secretary General Administration Department Khurshid Ahmad Ganai has called for making ‘tourist guiding’ as a distinct and identifiable profession to boost tourism industry in the state. For the purpose, he said elaborate training should be imparted to tourist guides to make them thoroughly professional.
Mr. Ganai was addressing tourist guides at a training programme organized by Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute (JKEDI) at IMPA today.
Professional guides, he said should be fully equipped with tourism related knowledge and made courteous, cultured and respectful to ensure privacy and confidentiality of tourists. “This, he said helps to protect sensitivities of tourists and caters to their varied tastes”.
Advising trainees to improve communication skills Mr. Ganai said tourist guides must be sensitive enough to create lasting impact on tourists. “Effective communication is instrumental in making tourists comfortable and friendly with new environs helping thereby directly in the promotion of tourism”, he added.
“Tourism alongwith Handicrafts, Information Technology, Food Processing and cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants offer best alternative for generating gainful job opportunities for the educated youth in private sector, he said adding that the youth should be motivated to join these sectors with zest and commitment by bringing about attitudinal change in them”.
The Principal Secretary highlighting competitive advantage in tourism in terms of natural captivating beauty, snow capped mountains, lush green valleys, magnificent lakes, rivers and springs pilgrimage and heritage sites, said “these are its ideal attractions”. Conservation of this scenic beauty together with improving transport, lodging facilities and services would make the state an international tourist destination, he maintained.
Earlier, Director JKEDI Mr. M.I. Parray gave resume of the activities of the institute. He said the institute has been providing training to entrepreneurs in various trades and enterprises across the state. He said the focus of its training programmes has been on capacity building so that the educated youth willingly opt for self-employment ventures, adding over the years a good number of educated youth have embarked into self-employment ventures after receiving training from the institute. |
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