Myanmar Tour Guides Call for Rule Changes

Myanmar tour guides, unhappy with new regulations, are calling for an overhaul of a recently formed Myanmar Tourist Guide Association (MTGA), according to the Myanmar Times.

MTGA spokesman, U Htun Myat, said many guides refused to abide by the new regulations that require them to wear uniforms, attend refresher courses, and follow a work roster set by the association.

Tour guides say the MTGA is imposing “unreasonable” and “ridiculous” regulations on their work.

Four of the 11 founding executive committee members, including secretary Daw Chaw Chaw Kye Mon, have already quit the association over the controversial new rules, and according to U Htun Myat, elections should be held for all senior positions to reform the MTGA.

“We are not against the association; I’m even involved as an information officer. But we can’t keep going in this direction in the long term. Most tour guides don’t accept the way this association has been established and the way it has operated. We want to elect a new chairman and executive committee members if we can,” he said.

The MTGA was founded on 16 May 2011, and has about 700 members. However, this number is likely to rise as the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has said it will not renew the licenses of guides who are not association members or do not attend the refresher courses.

U Than Htun Oo, a freelance German and English-language tour guide, said at a press conference in late December 2011 that the proposed roster system, where the association assigns tour guides to clients, was “ridiculous”. He added that many guides who originally supported forming an association are also unhappy at being forced to join.

“The association wants to impose this roster system upon us, but we object to their plan,” he said. “The tourism industry is growing rapidly, so there will be many competitors. If you are more clever and experienced, you will receive many clients. It’s true that those who don’t have much experience or skills might be left behind.”

U Than Htun Oo and other tour guides did not feel the MTGA was working in their interests, and they were particularly upset about compulsory uniforms.

“Most tour guides think this uniform is unnecessary…we already wear traditional dress during our tours. And for ethnic tour guides, foreigners love it if they wear their traditional dress. It is a big attraction for them,” he said.

“There are more than 3000 tour guides in Myanmar and about one-third are involved in the association. At the start we believed this association would represent us and solve our problems and difficulties, but it has done nothing of the sort. We are particularly sad that the founding of the association created conflict among tour guides, who used to be very friendly with each other.”

However, MTGA Chairwoman Daw Htay Htay Tin defended the new regulations, saying details of the roster system were yet to be finalized, but the system along with the refresher courses were necessary and would continue.

She said the association would elect a new chair next year and would continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Source: Myanmar Times (By Yu Yu Maw)

For more information:

Visit: www.myanmar-tourism.com