National Tourist Guides meet: Minister, officials stay away

MYSURU: The two-day national convention of Tourist Guides Federation of India commenced in this heritage city, but tourism minister R.V. Deshpande and top officers of the department chose to give the event a miss.

Tourist guides from Karnataka felt that the convention would be an exercise in futility because of the absence of the tourism minister. He ought to have attended the conference to discuss the scope of promotion of tourism, they said.

Dr Ajay Singh, general secretary of TGFI, said the state lacked the ability to market tourist destinations as compared with neighbouring states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Mr Devendar Singh Rathore, president of TGFI, lamented about poor connectivity in the state and exorbitant tax slabs for tourists arriving from other states.

The state has failed to add new tourism destinations or improve facilities at existing tourist destinations, according to Mr F. J. Ashok, member of TGFI, Mysuru.  

Chairman of Indian Association of Tour Operators, Karnataka Chapter, Mr S. Mahalingaiah, however, said promotion of places of interest for tourists was good though the tax rates were high.

As many as over 200 tourist guides from 17 associations from across the country are participating in the convention.