TURGAN PROPOSES HIKE IN GUIDES’ FEE

Tourist Guide Association of Nepal (TURGAN) – the association of certified tour guides in the country -- has proposed to raise freelance tourist guide service charge by 60-70 percent from October 01.

TURGAN President Hare Ram Baral said they proposed for the hike as the remuneration of tour guides hasn’t been raised after two percent hike in 2007 following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA).

But travel agencies operators have said that the new rates were not reasonable. They said the hike in remuneration of guides can affect the tourism sector as a whole.

NATTA CEO Hari Sarmah said the new rates can’t be implemented soon because tourism entrepreneurs have already forwarded their quotations to foreign agencies.

Baral said they had to forwarded circulars about the new rates to NATTA and other concerned agencies after their proposal for the same was not entertained on time

TAAN e-news 22 July 2010