Myanmar Tour Guide Association has submitted a proposal to specify at least US$35 for minimum tour guide service fee to the Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association and is waiting for feedback from tour companies, the association's chairman said.
"This specification has been made for
the service fees to be equal for the tour guides from all over the
country, especially the English tour guides. The [fees] are different
from region to region. There are those who get more while others get
less. Those with experience get more. The service fees differ based on
the languages. Spanish, German, French, and Italian tour guides receive
more. But this depends on the companies that use them. Our focus is on
the tour guides with license, not the regional tour guides," said Zaw
Win Cho, chairman of Myanmar Tour Guide Association.
"This is convenient for tour companies.
Some guides don't want to go to the regions and ask for at least US$40.
It's good that the service fee will be the same whether the trip is near
or far," said Nan Ni Ni Hlaing from Compliance Success Tour Company.
The specification includes both experienced and inexperienced tour guides so some tour companies may not be able to accept it.
"No companies will want to hire
inexperienced tour guides. If there are requirements, only the company
has to pay compensation. Also, this specification is like killing your
own tour guides. When specifying the fee, if it's done 'by force', no
one will pay them. Myanmar's tourism industry is already starting to get
a bad name. That is concerned with the hotel industry. It's like
unintentionally bringing down your own industry," said Aung Din,
managing director of Nature Lovers Tour Company.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has issued tour guide licenses to 3,344 tour guides up to the end of August this year.
source: Eleven Myanmar
No comments:
Post a Comment