A workshop, organised by the Union tourism ministry, in progress. Picture by S.H. Patgiri

Feb. 23: The next time autorickshaw driver Amar Deka (not his real name) gets a tourist as his passenger, he will not only be carting him around the tourist spots in and around the city but will also be able to tell him about the significance of the places. But most importantly, Deka will also be courteous, a virtue that is conspicuous by its near-absence among his breed here.

A four-day training programme for service providers — taxi and autorickshaw drivers — organised by the ministry of tourism, began today at the Mayong floating restaurant on the Brahmaputra. The objective: offering them tips on how to interact better with tourists.

“As they are the first people to come in contact with the tourists, they are the best ones to hardsell tourism,” regional director, Northeast India Tourism, S.. Khyriem, said.

Khyriem said it was not only enough to know the names of the places, but also about the importance of Kamakhya, Umananda and Ugratara so that the first-time visitor feels encouraged to go and visit these places.

“A lot depends on how these people speak and behave with the visitors which makes a lot of difference in wooing and persuading people to come to the state next time,” Khyriem added.

“The drivers should also be able to serve as guides,” an Assam tourism department official said.

He said the directorate of Assam tourism, having realised the problems a visitor is likely to face, has come out with a 44-page city guide. It not only highlights the tourist attractions but also assists tourists with a list of local jargon and colloquialisms.

The auto and taxi drivers were also given lectures on economic, social, cultural and environmental importance of tourism besides giving them information on places of tourist interest with special reference to Guwahati. The programme will also be held at other places to accommodate more service providers.

Soumitra Sen, lecturer at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition, emphasised on the importance of public relations, courtesies and communication skills. Lectures on traffic rules and regulations and basic first aid with demonstration were also given to the service providers.