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Women on the move
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The city's women guides take a detour to talk to CHITRA SWAMINATHAN about the challenges in their profession
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Pic. by N.Balaji
We have to be up to date with information on everything -- Anjana
Remember `Raju guide' of Chetan Anand's classic Hindi film of the 1950s, "Guide". The charming Raju (Dev Anand) won over Rosy (Waheeda Rehman) and the entire nation with his glib talk. But Raju has been left far behind by smart women guides of today.
The list of tourist guides for Chennai, maintained by the Department of Tourism, shows that though women do not outnumber men in the field — 30 of 80 guides — they are literally going places.
"So much that touring only within the city is a thing of the past. The women guides now cover all the four southern States. Which means being away from home for as long as 10 days at a stretch. If not for the restricted licence (since 1988), some of them are raring to travel outside the southern States too. The restriction was imposed to protect the interests of the local guides in every region," says P. Asoka, president of the national and local federation of tourist guides.
With tourism facing a slump in the last few years, the number of guides has obviously not gone up. However, 2003 proved to be the year of resurgence for travel and tourism. The feel good effect continues with India now being placed as the third favourite destination (after Sri Lanka and Nepal) for foreign travellers. The figures recently put out by the Department of Tourism have wheeled the industry into top gear. Reason enough for the department to resume the training course (previous one was held in 1996) for a fresh batch of guides.
"It is imperative for an aspiring guide to undergo training and obtain a licence from the Government of India," says Asoka.
"The course mentally prepares us for this `always on the move job'. But with a flair for travelling, mythology, history, literature and current affairs you could guide your way to success. Besides knowledge of a foreign language gives an extra edge," says Githa Varma, who has been in the field for 25 years.
"It's not an easy task taking strangers on geographical-cum-cultural trips. One needs to do a lot of reading to know the past and the present. You also have to be a patient listener and a tireless talker to answer the endless queries of curious travellers. We cannot afford to misguide visitors with wrong information," says the French speaking Anjana, a veteran in the profession.
Pic. by K.Pichumani
It is an ideal job for women -- Lakshmi Priya
The `all day out' duty does not seem to deter women from taking it up. Probably the excitement of meeting new people, and the challenge of exploring lesser-known destinations have actually kept many of the women guides going for more than two decades.
Vouching for their enthusiasm and sincerity, Asoka says, "In my long stint as the head of the guides federation, no incident of misbehaviour or harassment by the travel agents or tourists has been reported by these women. While at the professional level, be it remuneration or assignments, the travel agents seldom show any discrimination."
Elaborating on the payment factor, C. Nagendra Prasad, chairman, IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operators) says that the fee structure is the same for all guides. Travel hours, number of people in the touring team, outstation stay, early reporting, late arrivals, etc. are all taken into consideration while making payments.
"Though it involves a lot of travelling, this part-time job is quite suited to housewives as it gives them enough time to look after home despite doing something to feel financially independent and occupied. On an average, we may be working 10 days in a month and five months in a year. The travel season in the South begins in July and extends till March, the peak being June-July and December-January. Being freelancers, we have the right to pick and choose assignments. Those who do not wish to travel long distances opt for short trips within the city or the vicinity," says Lakshmi Priya, who became a guide after a post-graduation in Public Relations.
Adds Githa, "We may be on the road for long hours, but the luxurious mode of transport, choicest food and decent tourist groups make travel less tiresome."
According to young Suja Hari Kumar, not just global tourism, the domestic industry has also entered a euphoric phase with the urban middle class planning trips to tourist spots rather than visiting relatives. Generally only the NRIs and foreigners employ a guide. But with the arrival of MNCs and more foreign collaborations, the inflow of travellers combining business with pleasure has been keeping guides constantly on their toes."
It's quite a paying profession — Suja Hari Kumar
Adds Anjana, "These visitors are not merely interested in sightseeing. They are also keen to know about the people, lifestyles, social, economic and political conditions. And much depends on our presentation and personality."
Asoka feels as the guides have a direct link with the guests and are more aware of their problems and expectations, their participation in official discussions can put the country's tourism policy on the right path. "It has been happening at the national level for the past few years but discontinued in the State."
"We are actually the cultural ambassadors, who present the country in the right perspective and turn it into travellers' favourite destination," sums up Anjana.
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