Women tourist guide to conduct tours in Tirthan valley

District Kullu’s Tirthan Valley has carved out a unique spot on Himachal’s tourism map, attracting an increasing number of local and foreign tourists each year. The biodiversity of the World Heritage Great Himalayan National Park, the trout fish of the Tirthan River, the serene and secluded valleys, the pollution-free environment, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and traditional fairs and festivals are all major draws for tourists. Tourism has become a primary source of livelihood for the local people.

To promote tourism and employment in Tirthan Valley, the Punjab National Bank Rural Self Employment Training Institute in Kullu is organizing a Travel & Tourist Guide Training Camp at Gusheni. Thirty-five people from the valley, including about ten women, are participating in this ten-day training program, which will conclude on September 18.

The trained women guides will now offer tours to local and foreign tourists visiting the Great Himalayan National Park and other attractions in Tirthan Valley. Female tourists often prefer female guides for comfort, making this training a step towards women empowerment.

Saurabh Upadhyay, Program Coordinator at the Punjab National Bank Rural Self Employment Training Institute in Kullu, stated that the institute aims to empower young women and women’s self-help groups from poor rural families by providing free training to help them become financially self-reliant. The institute regularly conducts training programs on various skills such as beauty parlors, sewing and embroidery, pickle making, artisanal jewelry, paper artwork, flower farming, mushroom production, and toy making.

Participants in the ten-day Travel and Tourist Guide Training Program in Gusheni, including Bhima Devi, Vimla Devi, Divya Bharti, Tela Devi, Jeevana Devi, Ganga Devi, Lalita, Shanta Devi, Yashodha, and Jagita Devi, expressed that the training would be highly beneficial for them. They mentioned that they would now be able to provide tourists with information and promote environmental protection. The institute’s domain skill master trainer, Gurbakhsh, is imparting comprehensive training on becoming a tourist guide.