Tourism in Mysuru region hamstrung by paucity of guides

Mysuru: A leisurely stroll on Sayyaji Rao Road can never quite be just that – the roving eye is met with a procession of heritage structures lining both sides of this thoroughfare, and the gaze rests on each building for more than a few moments, taking in the marvels of architecture, and pausing briefly about the history that went into their construction. History of each heritage building, and not just on Sayyaji Rao Road, can fill reams, leaving tourists overwhelmed with the information. However, this is one aspect wherein the famed tourism industry of Mysuru is found wanting – paucity of guides is a huge problem that stakeholders in the sector want the government to address at the earliest.
Tour operators in Mysuru, and other cities in South Karnataka, point to the veritable trove of legends, coupled with fascinating historical snippets associated with the many structures in the city, and nearby districts. For instance, the story about how a visit to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir inspired then Mysuru Maharaja to build Nishat Bagh in the heart of the city is something tourists would enjoy lapping up, and putting on their retinue of memories from a fond trip. But, a woeful lack of informed guides makes a knowledgeable tour of Mysuru a rather hard task, complain the operators.

“Take the case of Srirangapatna. It is filled with numerous tourist spots such as Gosay Mutt, Ganjam, etc. However, most guides restrict their narration to Tipu Sultan and some of the temples in the town. There is hardly any reference to Ganjam, which is a beautiful rose garden. In fact, even locals do not know much about the Somanathapura temple not too far from Srirangapatna. Consequently, tourists are forced to rely on information they can source from the internet,” said Shoba Vasudevan, who facilitates tours to Mysuru from Bengaluru.

Highlighting the difference in experience of tourists abroad and in places such as Mysuru, Shoba said, “In foreign countries, a tour assistant will narrate stories about even places that are not very significant. This is not the case here.”

Stressing the role played by guides in enhancing the experience of visitors, particularly to prominent spots, president of Mysuru Travels Association BS Prashanth said, “The guide plays an important role in attracting tourists. But, here, his or her responsibility is restricted to introducing visitors to good shopping spots. While the practice of exciting the visitors’ interest with stories is gathering popularity elsewhere, this is not happening in Mysuru and surrounding regions.”

Sudha Das, a guide in the city, opined that the government and private players in the tourism sector must work together to create a pool of guides, equipped with sufficient knowledge to leave the visitors more informed about the city than they were beforehand. “The concept of a tour guide is fairly common. However, theme-based packages are gaining ground, and expectations from a guide have increased. We need to improve their skills in narration, and story-telling,” she said.