The Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB) is seeking a higher and standard Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for the tour guides. In a recommendation submitted to the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) in 2016, the association has proposed a DSA of Nu 1,000 to 3,000.
The guide association says a majority of tour operators hire fresh guides by paying as low as Nu 400 a day. This compromises the quality of tourism, says Garab Dorji, the Chairperson of GAB.
“When the tourists don’t get professional guides, the image of the country suffers,” he added.
GAB believes better and standard DSA for the tour guides would not only help improve the professionalism of the tour guides but also the flourishing of the country’s tourism sector.
“If the stakeholders come together and standardize the DSA for tour guides, I think it will encourage us to give our best,” Sithup, a tour guide, said.
Sithup added the tour operators stand to benefit a lot as well. “If the guides do well, the tourists will recommend that particular tour agent to other visitors.”
Under current circumstances where some guides survive on few hundreds, as the GAB shared, they have to endure a lot of problems.
“When we are with tourists staying in a 5-star hotel, forget about being provided with food and lodge, we are not even allowed inside sometimes. In such situations, we have to make do with whatever we have or spend from our own pocket. During the peak season, it’s hard to get rooms even in average hotels,” Zanglay Namgyal, another tour guide, said.
“I think it will particularly benefit the freelance guides. I worked as a freelance guide before and we get only a few groups even during the peak season. So, when you are paid less, you hardly earn anything,” Kezang Dorji said.
The association says retaining senior guides remains a challenge and poor pay is thought is one of the reasons why they leave the profession.
The Bhutan Tourism Monitor Survey 2017 revealed that over four per cent of the visitors expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of guides.
