Courtesy lesson for drivers, guides

Dos and don’ts while dealing with tourists

— A first-of-its-kind orientation workshop was organised for taxi drivers, guides, restaurant and dhaba owners and others involved in the trade to develop communication skills.

— They were told about do’s and don’ts to be followed while dealing with tourists.

— Issues like cleanliness, hygiene, courteous behaviour, awareness and interpretative skills of guides were discussed

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 8

Realising that skill, attitude and behaviour of ancillary service providers in tourism sector play a major role in promoting tourism, the Himachal Tourism Department has taken a new initiative to train the people engaged in allied sectors to boost tourism.

A first-of-its-kind orientation workshop was organised by the state tourism department in collaboration with Tourism Development Corporation and Asian Development Bank for taxi drivers, guides, restaurant and dhaba owners, primary and secondary accommodation providers, photographers and others involved in the trade to develop communication skills. They were told about do’s and don’ts to be followed while dealing with tourists.

About 70 participants were imparted knowledge on tourism, its importance, need to adopt fair practices and their role in promoting tourism in the workshop held under “Infrastructure Development Investment Programme for tourism in Himachal Pradesh” recently.

“It was an attempt to improve communication skills of the tourism services providers like guides, eateries, taxi operators, dhaba owners, photographers and accommodation providers and apprise them of the do’s and don’ts in dealing with the tourists and promoting safe tourism, said community development officer Shefali Sharma.

Issues like cleanliness, hygiene, courteous behaviour, awareness and interpretative skills of guides were discussed during the workshop which also facilitated interface between various ancillary service providers.

Several other programmes like home stay training, handicraft production training, handicraft value addition and packaging training, trekking and soft adventure guide training, boating and water-based activity training, mobile camping residential training, mountain biking training, solid waste management training, cooking training, cultural group training, composite management training, bird watching training and angling/ fishing interpretation training are also in the pipeline, besides formation of community tourism groups and increasing the participation of women and local people.