Vijayapura, a city known for monuments such as the historic Gol Gumbaz, has seen complete fall in tourist visits during the lockdown. One section that has been severely hit but gone without any relief are tourist guides.
“Guides get no salary or remuneration from the government. The only earning for them is what tourists who hire them pay. But since the tourist places have been closed, we have no visitors and we have no money for survival,” said Vijayakumar Bandi, a tourist guide along with eight others at Gol Gumbaz. Sridhar Irsur, another guide here, said that they earn around ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 a month in tourist season, but this is nil now.
Ashok Mayachari, State president, Tourist Guides’ Union, said that the State has around 1,050 registered guides who have undergone training and obtained licences from Department of Tourism to work as guides. “Since several years, we have been urging successive governments pay a minimum remuneration to the guides, but till date, our demands have not been met,” he said. While they were surviving with a fee paid by tourists, the lockdown has completely used up their earnings, he said.
“When the government is extending financial help to many communities to overcome the crisis, why can’t it announce a relief package for us too?” he asked.
Memorandum received
Mallikarjun Bhajantri, District Tourism Officer, said that the department has received a memorandum from the union seeking financial benefit. “We will submit the report to Tourism Ministry for taking further action,” he said.