Tour guide training for employment and tourism facilitation

RUPANDEHI, Feb 16: A seven-day local tour guide training has started in Bhairahawa from Tuesday with the aim of facilitating the tourists entering Nepal through the Rupandehi Belhia crossing.

The training was organized in collaboration with the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) and the Tourism Development Council under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Environment under the Lumbini Provincial Government.

Executive Director of Tourism Development Council Ramu Joshi said that the training was organized with the aim of facilitating the tourists coming through Belhia pass, especially to inform them about Lumbini and its surrounding areas.

"After this, such training will be organized in tourist destinations such as Lumbini, Bardia," he said, "Through the training, the youth will become self-employed and the tourist destinations of the province will be promoted."

Joshi informed that 40 people from different districts of Lumbini province participated in the program. Ajay Dhakal, departmental head of Nathm, said that he is a representative of an organization that produces skilled manpower and that the cooperation in the program has been started.

"Initially, we have cooperated with the Tourism Council in the training programs including roadshows", he said, "In the coming days, there is a plan to cooperate in research and other work." Minister of Industry, Tourism and Transport of Lumbini Province Janki Prasad Yadav said that after identifying the tourist destinations of the province, they will make a plan for their development. "There is a concern about how to bring in more tourists", said Yadav, "prosperity of the province is possible through the development of tourism."

Yadav said that plans are being prepared by discussing and coordinating with the private sector on how to bring in more tourists from the two neighboring countries, India and China. "Coordination will be done with the private sector for the production of skilled manpower", he said, "I am ready to change the laws and regulations that are obstacles for this."

The speaker of the program said that there is an environment in which tour guide can earn good income in this area and asked the participants to take the training properly. Treasurer of Lumbini Development Fund, Dhundiraj Bhattarai (Siddhicharan) said that tourism road shows are a profession of attraction.

"Tourists from most countries of the world are coming to Lumbini", he said, "so the guide should learn many languages and prepare himself professionally." He said that if the youth learn the language spoken by the tourists, they can earn more by staying in the country. He said that Tilaurakot in Kapilvastu is going to be listed as a world heritage site and Ramgram in West Nawalparasi is going to be developed by making a master plan, so there are many opportunities for pathfinders.

He said that such training programs will be helpful in eliminating the problem of lack of skilled manpower in the tourism sector.