Guiding light | Career Bazaar

ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY

Are you a young modern Nepali bitten by the travel bug? Got an urge to push the horizon ever further? Aching for that independence? If this describes you and you are looking for a career, travel on. Tour guiding is one of the most attractive careers for a young educated Nepali today.

Nepal's tourism industry has tremendous potential. Our natural and cultural heritage is a gift of the earth itself. Acknowledging and saying this, however, is not enough. Invitations must go out, call the world to come and experience Nepal. This is where you step into your role as guide.

There's more to being a guide than just taking tourists to the 'must-see' sites listed in guidebooks. "As a guide, you become a brand ambassador of the nation to the world," says Hikmat Singh Ayer, manager at Tourism Products and Resources Development Department of Nepal Tourism Board. "Your job is to let visitors know more about your own culture and natural heritage with the mantra 'atithi deva bhawa' in mind. The priority, of course, is to make sure your guests have a good time."

A tour guide is a storyteller with the ability to spellbind visitors by bringing history alive. S/he relates the legends of silent watchful eyes and unveils the mysteries of veiled deities. A guide must always remember that travellers are eager to learn about the local history and culture of the place they are in. It is important that they receive the right information regarding all that they see and experience. Therefore, if you think you can be a guide, start by reading up on local history and culture.

Being a guide isn't easy. It is an important part of the tourism industry. You need certain qualifications and must pass a test to receive an authorised certificate. It also needs social skills, and knowing foreign languages other than English won't hurt. Most guides today speak French, German, Japanese and Chinese, which is the new favourite. Find out all you can on your local culture, tradition, history and heritage. Research on the Internet, it will add to your knowledge and market your skills.

Again, to market your skills, you might consider specialising: trekking guide, cultural tour guide, expedition guide or nature hike guide. Specialising needs serious dedication and commitment to what you are doing. For instance, a trekking guide should have explored the routes and peaks on the chart. It's a good idea to take a course that would help you sharpen your skills for such specialisation.

The National Academy for Tourism and Hotel Management, Hotel Management and Tourism Training Centre in Rabi Bhawan, Silver Mountain in Lazimpat, and the Himalayan Institute of Tourism Management are some of educational institutes that offer formal training on tourism related services. If you are worried about finances, an honest day's work always pays well if you are a good guide. But guiding is a seasonal job, so don't forget to save for rainy days.