Romanian tour operator complains about lack of guides in the country

Romania has half the number of tourist guides it needs although tourism agencies pay guides with EUR 70 per day, according to Karpaten Turism, a local tour operator specialized in incoming services, which means bringing foreign tourists to the country. The most wanted guides are those who speak German, French and Dutch, local Profit.ro reported. Some 2,800 guides are officially registered at the Tourism Ministry. However, only about 1,200 are active while the rest either retired or started other activities. “Romania needs at least 2,500 guides at the moment,” said Alexandra Nedelcu, incoming manager at Karpaten Tourism. “Last year, we brought 157,000 foreign tourists to the country and, for this volume, we would need another 100-150 guides per season,” she added. To solve this problem, Karpaten has been paying for the training of local guides who agree to sign two-year contracts with the firm. Training takes about six months and includes a six-week theoretical training while the rest is practice. However, few people take these training courses even if a guide can earn up to EUR 2,000 net per month plus accommodation and meals. editor@romania-insider.com