Before CWG (Commonwealth Games) kick starts in the month of October, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to equip the state’s tourist guides with English language skills and etiquette.
The state government is expecting a large number of foreign tourists, mainly from Britain, to visit the hill state around the time of the October 3-14. Himachal Pradesh that is blessed with many tourism spots plans to woo Games tourists to the once British-dominated settlements like Shimla, Dharamsala, Kasauli, Dalhousie, Dharampur, Dagshai and Subathu.
The registered tourist guides based in most of the prominent tourist towns are already undergoing training which will enable them to reply to the basic queries of tourists. They are being familiarized with the historical monuments and buildings located in Shimla, a few oral communication English words and basic etiquettes. Training programmes will also be started shortly in other tourist destinations like Dharamsala, Chamba, Dalhousie, Manali, Kasauli and Kalpa.
Besides, the Himachal Pradesh tourism department would soon be releasing a book called 'Har Ghar Kuch Kahta Hai' (every house has its own history), a compendium of historical buildings of Shimla. The book would be displayed at prominent tourist information centres and the venues of the Games so that the tourists, who have roots in Shimla, can easily visit.
