Local Tour Guides Panic about Foreign Tour Guides
A bill put to the legislature that proposes “Westerners” be allowed to act as tour guides in Taiwan has caused a panic among local tour guides, according to a report in United Daily News.
Liberty Times Network reported that legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) put forward the proposal to amend the law to allow expatriates in Taiwan to act as tour guides. Under the proposal, Taiwan residents of foreign nationality, including foreign spouses, expatriates, and students, would be allowed to “assist visitors to become familiar with Taiwan.” They would be allowed to share their understanding and appreciation Taiwan with people from their own countries.
The UDN report quotes local tour guides as saying that there are already (local) foreign language tour guides who have trouble finding work. “Why don’t you give these people priority for jobs? Expatriates have a limited understanding of Taiwan.”
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Most local tour guides have a limited understanding of English or other western languages.
I have joined many tours arranged by Taiwanese travel agencies, but none of the local tour guides could speak English or any western languages. Norway has many tour guides to guide tourists in their own language, at least 3 guides are fromTaiwan.
Local guide’s English would quickly improve if they had competition. However, it’s not really about competition. Having competent foreign language guides would not make everyone compete for a smaller piece of the pie. It would make the pie bigger.
Taiwanese people have a free passport to the world. Taiwan should reciprocate the privileges they enjoy in our countries. It would truly make them free.