According to the Good Tourism Institute good tour guides boost the travel experience and level of customer satisfaction of visitors. The guide is key in making sure the travel experience is run sustainably in that visitors rely on your expertise, your local knowledge and your ability to provide them with an amazing experience.
As a tour operator in India, we at EknoTravels would like to add that it is important to be licenced. By being licenced by the State and/or Central Government Tourism Boards you know that you they have undergone relevant training to become professionals.
There are many stories that circulate around people’s difficult experiences while travelling in India and that they were ‘taken for a ride’ by offering an experience that didn’t live up to the promise and they money that was exchanged for that experience. Such scams are rampant if booking through the internet.
It is important to always check the credentials of the travel company that you are engaging as this can ‘make or break’ your trip.
In India, to obtain a guide’s licence with either State and/or central government qualifications they have to undergo an exam and practical training to attain their qualifications. These need to be updated on a yearly basis. By having these qualifications, they are able to organise and run a travel experience following official guidelines (if required).
As well being trained and qualified other skills include:
1. Outgoing and engaging
2. Good communication skills
3. Knowledgeable and passionate.
4. Organised and punctual
5. Patient and able to manage a crisis
The Good Tourism Institute https://goodtourisminstitute.com/
Meet our Tour Guides
Vikas Kumar
Vikas has worked in the travel industry since he was at school. Since then, has worked in many roles and is since 2012 he has worked as Tour Manager at Ekno Travels. He has held a Himachal Pradesh State Government Tour Guide licence since 2007 and and more recently India Central Government Tour Guide Licence. This adds to his tertiary qualifications from from Himachal Pradesh University. Vikas regularly works with Photography, Trekking, Spiritual and Cultural groups from Australia, Europe and the USA.
Ashish Kumar
Ashish joined Ekno Travels in 2017 and plays a pivotal role lending his knowledge to itinerary building and guiding clients on various tours throughout India. Ashish holds a Bachelor’s degree, a Diploma of Computer Science, and a Masters of English. He has recently passed his Guiding exams to be licenced with the Himachal Pradesh State Government and India Central Government. Ashish works with Trekking and Cultural groups from Australia and Europe.
Reference: The Good Tourism Institute https://goodtourisminstitute.com/
