THE Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is changing the licensing system for tour guides to include a test of foreign language proficiency, a senior official said last week.

The test will be introduced at the end of the month, said the Deputy Minister of Hotels and Tourism, Brigadier-General Aye Myint Kyu.

The first licence applicants to undergo the test will be from among the 270 people who will have completed certificate courses offered this year at the ministry’s Tour Guide Training School on Bo Sun Bet Street in downtown Yangon.

Ninety trainees are accepted for each two month course but not all are expected to apply for the licences, which are issued by the school.

“We introduced this system to upgrade the quality of guides as they represent the country and foreign language proficiency is essential if they are to accurately explain Myanmar’s traditions and culture,” said Brigadier-General Aye Myint Kyu.

Under the previous system, the school issued licenses to certificate holders after a brief personal interview.

The new system will require the foreign language proficiency of licence applicants to be assessed in an interview involving officials from the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, teachers at the school, lecturers at the University of Foreign Languages and experienced tour guides.

The school has issued about 6000 tour guide licenses since 1992.

Brigadier-General Aye Myint Kyu said only about 20 per cent of those issued with the licences were working in the tourism industry.

The school’s principal, U Ohn Kyaw, said it provides tuition in English, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), German, French, Italian, Korean, Russian and Thai, using Myanmar teachers.

He said that in cooperation with the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, the school is planning to introduce Spanish and Italian classes using native speakers to meet a growing demand for guides proficient in those languages.