WFTGA President visits India

WFTGA President visits India.

Mrs Rosalind Newlands WFTGA President attended the 12th Convention of the TGFI in Uidapur Rajistan from 23rd to 25th August 2008. The inaugural function was held at the Durbar Hall, City Palace, Udaipur at the invitation of HH Lacksay Raj Singh, Prince of Udaipur. Mrs Kanti Singh, State Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India opened the Convention.



TGFI, a member of WFTGA, is the official federation of tourist guides associations in India and 280 tourist guides from all over India attended the Convention. TGFI officials present included Mr Ashok Sharda (President TGFI), Mr Kapoor C Jain (Sr. Vice President TGFI and President of India Tourist Guides Udaipur) and Mr P Asoka, (President Emt TGFI and President of the Approved Tour Guides Association, Madras).



Speakers included the President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and Mr Sanjay Kothari Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.



Ashok Sharda, President, TGFI said, “The key issue to be discussed is the need to meet the challenges including the induction of more guides and doubling the number of cadre by state tourism ministries considering the increase in number of tourist arrivals, especially to the North.” He further added that TGFI will request the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) to induct new guides after assessing the demand from inbound tourists like Chinese and Korean and to subsequently provide special training to guides on the knowledge of these languages. We also want the MoT to take up the issue of allowing guides to operate in private museums and trusts especially in Rajasthan,” explained Sharda.



Other issues discussed included the unpleasant behaviour of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security personnel toward guides at some world heritage sites, appealing to TGFI members to refrain from exploitation during peak season and also urged them to resist the attempts by tour operators to exploit them.



Addressing the Convention Rosalind Newlands said, “ the logo of the WFTGA is two hands, stretched across the world – caring and showing hands bringing all tourist guides together whatever their culture, language or religion. We must work together as tourist guides in friendship and it is important that we do not allow any internal issues to weaken our position. We should work with our colleagues wherever we find them to encourage higher standards and professional behaviour. WFTGA is a non- political organisation and our members must adhere to our Code of Practice and behave professionally as tourist guides”.


Mrs Newlands commended the work of Mr Govind Agrawal, WFTGA Area Representative, India in bringing the TGFI into membership of WFTGA. She promised the support of WFTGA in combating illegal tourist guiding and exploitation of tourist guides in India and invited the delegates to attend the WFTGA Convention in Bali Indonesia in January 2009, where they would have the opportunity to discuss issues with tourist guides from more than 50 countries.



TGFI hosted the WFTGA President’s attendance at the Convention, which was organised by the India Tourist Guides Association Udaipur. She attended all the business meetings and functions, was given a personal guided tour of Udaipur and also joined the delegates on the post tour to the Jain Temples at Ranakpur

 


Last update: 9/3/2008 6:59:02 AM