ISLAMABAD – To get any license related to tourism in Pakistan, training would be made mandatory soon to improve the quality of services offered to the tourists.
MD Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab ur Rehman Rana has confirmed that the government was strengthening the licensing system, as the unbridled growth of inexperienced and unprofessional tourist guides and operators was denting a low to the country’s image.
The official detailed that after consulting all the key stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality sector, the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Tourism and Hospitality has been developed, which will be further applied all over Pakistan.
He added that parallel to NMS, a training program has also been drafted which will be mandatory to get a license and to work in this sector as hospitality worker, tour operator, tourist guide, etc.
The official was of the opinion that to make tourism sector productive, it is crucial that tour operators, tourist guides, hospitality sector, etc. must be trained as per the international standards to give best services to the foreigners.
Rana elaborated that to improve the quality of services in tourism sector, the first-ever ‘National Tour Guide Training Program’ is being conducted this month with the collaboration of various other agencies, WealthPk reported.
The PTDC chief revealed that the training program would be a subsidized program as PTDC and other stakeholders will bear the major costs and trainees will bear only 30% charges to cover the logistics, travel costs, transport.
Aftab said that through this National Program, at least 5,000 tour guides would be trained in the next three to four years and few sessions of this program will be held on the PTDC premises while some would take place in College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (COTHM).
‘An extensive training session of 15 days will be indoors. The trainees who pass the first stage or 15 days’ training will be eligible to participate in the next stage of three months of training under the supervision of senior tourist guides and with various companies to improve their skills. After completing all these steps, the trainees will be considered qualified to get a tourist license,’ he confirmed.
The official highlighted that tourist licensing after training will hinder all unprofessional social media tourist guides and tour operators and non-licensed hotels, lodges and guest houses will also be banned from hosting tourists.
