With Bhutan reopening to tourism after the pandemic, Bhutanese women have been successfully seizing the opportunity to make inroads into the guiding profession. The number of female guides has gradually risen to around 400 today. Female guides said due to their more hospitable nature, they are seeing an edge over male guides. Moreover, many women have joined the profession taking inspiration from other senior female guides.
As per the data maintained by the Guides Association of Bhutan’s Guide Management System, there are about 3,500 registered tour guides in the country. Among them, a little over 3,000 are male and the remaining are female.
Since last year, over 200 new tour guides were registered, with 28 of them being female.
Tshering Pelden, a senior female guide who has been working in the field for 18 years said the rise in the number of female guides is an indication of how women are creating new avenues to sustain themselves.
She added this emerging trend is also signifying how women are overcoming gender barriers in a traditionally male-dominated occupation.
“In the past, women were often regarded as less capable. However, in the present day, men and women can perform equal roles. Women, known for their skills in hospitality, are preferred by tour operators as guides. The increasing number of female guides signifies the valuable contribution of women in this field,” Tshering said.
Sonam Choden, a relatively new female guide who took up guiding about two years ago said, her interest in travelling and hiking aligned with her career goals prompting her to become a guide.
However, her journey was not without challenges. She said she had to overcome social stigma and restrictions to take up guiding as a career.
“I have always enjoyed hiking, trekking, and meeting new people. Interacting with others teach us a lot. Travelling is my hobby, which is why I chose to work in tourism,” Sonam said.
Wages have also comparatively increased as compared to the pre-COVID years with the revision of Daily Subsistence Allowance or DSA. The DSA rate has almost doubled since last year.
“The president of the Guide Association of Bhutan has decided to make a difference before and after COVID by revising the DSA rates to a minimum of 3000 ngultrum. They have tried hard and succeeded in doing that. In peak seasons, Indian tourists pay DSA ranging from 3000 to 7000 ngultrum,” added Tshering Pelden.
The president of the guide association said that female guests prefer female guides.
The president is expecting more female guides after the completion of the on-going Dessung Skilling Programme’s guide training.
Tashi Chezom
Edited by Kipchu
