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Tour guides show the way

By Zainuddin Muhammad, New Straits Times | Mon, Nov 16 2009

There are only eight tour guides in Terengganu who could speak English and were registered with the association.

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KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA - Tourist guides are a rare breed in the state, but even rarer is one who is proficient in the English language.

Terengganu Tourist Guide Association acting chairman Ramlee Muda said there were only eight tour guides in the state who could speak English and were registered with the association.

"But we are still new to the business and efforts are being made to recruit more registered tourist guides," he said after attending the Tourist Guide Idol contest, organised by Tourism Malaysia recently.

Ramlee said the state association came into existence only about two years ago compared to similar associations in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak and Johor, which were set up back in the 1960s.

"While those associations can boast memberships of over 3,000, we are surviving with about 100 guides in the state.

"But we are in need of more city tour guides, regardless of the language they speak, as more than 80 per cent of our members are wearing badges for nature guides."

Ramlee said good money could be made by becoming a city or nature tour guide, even on a part-time basis, but most of the people here were still in the dark on the employment opportunities.

"A tour guide earns between RM180 and RM250 a day and with Terengganu set to become a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists, the potential is just huge.

"At present, most out-of-state tour operators still bring their own tour guides but they will soon realise that they can rely on the services of local guides."

Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia state director Suhaimi Abu Hassan Shari said the inaugural Tourist Guide Idol contest was held to provide exposure on the need for more certified tour guides in the state.

"We are a little disappointed that only six of them turned up for the competition but we are delighted to see good performances from the contestants who had to narrate a journey from the Islamic Civilisation Park to the Shahbandar Square.

"We are not giving up easily though as we plan to hold a similar contest again soon and this time, we hope to unearth new talent in the business."

Contest winner Law Siew Hoong, 48, who received his guide credentials a year ago, said the contest was a good way to judge his storytelling abilities.

"I am still new at this but I assume I can only get better from here," said the father-of-two who admitted to having found his forte, showing off his hometown to curious visitors.

--New Straits Times

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