GUIDES at Gua Tempurung are slated to go on a crash course to improve their English, for the sake of Perak’s tourism industry.
Perak Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Hamidah Osman said it was only expected of a world-class caving destination such as Gua Tempurung to have guides who could speak proper English.
Taking a closer look: Hamidah (front right) visiting the cave. “Most of the guides currently employed by the site operator are unable to speak well in the language.
“This was also pointed out by a number of tourists who had visited the cave,” Hamidah said after visiting the popular tourist destination in Gopeng recently.
Noting that the operator was aware of the shortcomings, she said the company had acted promptly by hiring several English-speaking guides to deal with the problem.
Magnificent : Visitors admiring the intricate limestone structures inside Gua Tempurung. “The new guides are to start work in November, just ahead of Visit Perak Year 2012.
“In the meantime, its existing guides will undergo intensive training to brush up on their English,” she added.
Hamidah said the guides’ lack of proficiency in English had on more than one occasion resulted in communication breakdown between them and foreign visitors.
This, she highlighted, had resulted in a not-so-desirable experience for the visitors.
“The guides should also be able to explain the cave’s geographical structures and history rather than just telling tourists that this limestone formation looks like a dog or a cat.
“A guide should try to make it more interesting by providing more details about the cave,” she added.
To further enhance its professionalism and image, Hamidah said the operator would soon require visitors to wear safety helmets when entering the cave.
“Foreign tourists place a lot of importance on safety wherever they go.
“I believe we will be able to market ourselves better just by looking into the tiny details and making a few tweaks here and there,” she pointed out.
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