A few weeks back, a travel agency handling a group of French Navy personnel on a tour to Goa, chartered 26 buses to give the guests a quick glimpse of Goa, but it could manage only five interpreters.
“We lack foreign language guides in Goa and this is a problem that we have been having for long. The government is not keen on solving this problem. You go to Delhi and you have government-approved guides in so many languages,” moans Orlando Nunes, general manager of Trail Blazers.
Lack of guides was not much of a problem when the clients were British. With the advent of Germans, tour companies from Germany dispatched their own guides but things changed after the Russians set foot in Goa.
“The Russians came in 2001 and till date, after more than 23 years, the government is not in a position to provide one Russian guide to the industry. If we privately try to get a Russian on board, the taxi guys create a ruckus,” says Nunes.
The Russians came in 2001 and till date, after more than 23 years, the government is not in a position to provide one Russian guide to the industry.
Orlando Nunes, general manager of Trail Blazers.
The shortage of guides, according to Ernest Dias, COO of Sita Travels, is because, ‘most Goans do not look at guiding as a profession’.
“Somehow, they are not interested in taking up the trade. I think the name guide has to be changed to something else. We use the term hotel representative but Goans do not prefer guiding as a career. We are still using our old English guides with no new guide available. They do not seem interested in taking up guiding courses,” reasons Dias.
But not all tourists seek out guides. “I have not come to Goa to study Goa’s history but to see its beauty and therefore don’t need a guide. With Google providing all information for free, why should I be paying for a guide?” reasons Vimla from North India on a holiday in Goa.
“The point of coming to Old Goa is to see the miraculous body and see the ancient architecture. I know there are many churches with many names but I am not here to study these churches but to see them,” she explains, when asked to identify the St Cathedral.
I have not come to Goa to study Goa’s history but to see its beauty and therefore don’t need a guide. With Google providing all information for free, why should I be paying for a guide?
Vimla from North India
But not all tourists are disinterested in history. “There are tourists who come to lap up the historical perspective and tourists who come to make their visit to Goa visible and its these two type of tourists who will decide whether to opt for a guide or not,” explains local guide Jude.
“When charter tourism was booming in Goa, we had guided tours every day. Close to 20 buses used to be hired to take them all over Goa. During the tour we had lunch or dinner breaks with folk dances performed,” recollects Jude.
When charter tourism was booming in Goa, we had guided tours every day. Close to 20 buses used to be hired to take them all over Goa. During the tour we had lunch or dinner breaks with folk dances performed.
Local guide Jude
“Goa has to wake up to the issue with the government now trying to lay emphasis on tourists from the Middle East. We had some Iranian guests and no guides. We had to source them from somewhere else. This makes it expensive and with no steady supply of guides in foreign languages, it is an additional burden,” reasons Nunes.
With the government of Goa eyeing Indian tourists with zest , the need for foreign language guides will not be felt till the numbers of foreigners increases and then the search will turn into a scramble.
