Tourism
“Treat the country like your grandmother’s house” 

© private Afsha Shaik (15:04): 
Hello, I am Afsha. I’ve been working as a tour leader in India for two years. All of my guests are mostly foreign nationals. So far, each trip of mine has been different because it depends a lot on who you’re traveling with. © private Afsha Shaik (15:06):
Yes, a lot of experience! I think after having worked as a tour leader you can work anywhere. I am currently in Mumbai, India. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:08):
Hi guys! I’m Grégoire or Greg, I’m from Montréal and my path is a little mixed, but I have also been a tour guide in Montréal, Québec City, Ottawa, and Toronto for the last five years. I also happen to teach French as a second language in an English-language school! And I 100% agree with Afsha about the fact that once you’re a tour guide, you can do pretty much anything.

© private Afsha Shaik (15:09):
Haha I’m sure you are a good teacher, Greg! As you know, we sort of pick up everything on the job. © private Afsha Shaik (15:13):
Yes, for starters, some travelers are completely unaware of their destination. They do zero research beforehand. That causes a lot of problems for them, especially when it comes to India.

© private Grégoire Boucher (15:14):
Are you usually staying in one place in India for a couple of days and then moving to another city?


© private Afsha Shaik (15:15):
I offer some tours all over India, all over the North and to Goa and also from India to Nepal. © private Afsha Shaik (15:17):
First off, when they don’t do the research, they expect India to be like in the movies. For example, they expect you will see elephants on the road… © private Afsha Shaik (15:17):
Bollywood haha. © private Afsha Shaik (15:19):
Yes, the main problem is actually with their packing. For example, India has several seasons.


© private Grégoire Boucher (15:20):
Does India have a “winter” season?



© private Afsha Shaik (15:21):
Yes, and many won’t pack their clothes according to the weather. © private Afsha Shaik (15:23): 
Yes, and in  the North, winters can be especially chilly. Of course, no competition with Canada. 


© private Grégoire Boucher (15:23):
I didn’t know that. Interesting! © private Afsha Shaik (15:24):
Exactly and since it’s a so-called “developing country” most of the travelers are from so-called “developed countries.” If they haven’t traveled to Asia before and they arrive in India first, it’s very overwhelming. I have a funny story, which is actually not that funny... © private Afsha Shaik (15:26):
On one of my last tours, I was managing a young group, between 18 and 22 years old. There were twelve guests, mostly from Australia and one Canadian. We were all set for our briefing meeting, and I was waiting for them to arrive. So, one of my guests came to me, 15 minutes before the meeting, and said “Hi, I just wanted to inform you, that I’m going back home.” This girl had arrived in Delhi on the same day. She couldn’t take it. This is one of the biggest problems when you don’t do your research. She took a return flight on the same day. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:28):
What? Outrageous! Because of the cold???



© private Afsha Shaik (15:29):
No, she didn’t want to have a room to herself, she wanted to share it with someone else. Also, Delhi overwhelmed her. © private Afsha Shaik (15:31):
We were able to solve the room problem. Still, she was so overwhelmed with everything else. We were heading to Jaipur, which is really nice. So, I told her she could decide whether she wanted to stay at the next destination. But she had already arranged her return. © private Afsha Shaik (15:33):
Yes, culture shock is a big thing. You have to be really sure about where you want to go. Also, things differ according to your budget. For example, if you’re doing just luxury tours, you’ll get only the best accommodations and that changes things. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:35):
Oh yeah, you have a completely different experience based on your budget. That’s for sure!


© private Afsha Shaik (15:36):
So, what kind of travelers come to Canada?



© private Grégoire Boucher (15:37):
Something that people have trouble understanding or picturing about Québec is that in the summer it gets very hot and humid. They think of Canada as a big ice cube, I guess, and don’t know that we have four distinct seasons. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:40):
Yes, absolutely. But you also have the complete opposite: I work with a company called EF (Education First) so most of my travelers are students (12–20 years old). On my winter tours, I have seen many people wearing bad clothes for when it is -35 degrees Celsius outside, such as a wind jacket or regular sneakers in the snow. © private Afsha Shaik (15:47):
No, it’s a part of learning.



© private Grégoire Boucher (15:48):
Very good question. Personally, I travel without preparing myself very much. Which actually leads to me making a decent number of mistakes myself. I consider mistakes in traveling (only most of the time, of course) a fun anecdote to tell after.


© private Afsha Shaik (15:48):
Basically, mistakes make you learn, but there is one mistake, which I think is fatal, that is: not traveling responsibly. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:50):
Great question, I’d like to hear you on this, Afsha!



© private Afsha Shaik (15:50):
It’s especially questioned in India because, as a tourist, Indians are watching you and sometimes try to imitate you. Many believe that whatever a tourist does, it’s the right thing. Many tourists throw their garbage on the street, and most of the time they wouldn’t do so at home. © private Afsha Shaik (15:51):
Yes, especially because in India we already have a huge behavior problem. © private Grégoire Boucher (15:54):
I totally agree, Chris. At the end of all my tours, I always tell my students two things:
1. That they leave a trace behind wherever they go in the world and that they need to be aware of it, and that they should treat the country they visit as if it was their grandmother’s house.
2. To get themselves a reusable water bottle, since waste is a problem their generation will have to face, and that a small gesture goes a long way.

© private Afsha Shaik (15:55):
Totally. I think tourism should always be promoted in such a manner.


© private Grégoire Boucher (15:55):
A common mistake from travelers in my opinion: they think vacation equals letting loose and not giving a damn about their behavior. Many think that they can just treat the place they’re visiting the way they want. © private Afsha Shaik (15:56):
Yes, for sure, you need those skills.



© private Grégoire Boucher (15:57):
Of course. I don’t want to brag, but I think I’m a pretty decent traveler and I try to pay attention to the traces I leave behind when I visit places. © private Afsha Shaik (15:57):
Yes. In Paris, for example, I looked too much like a tourist. And I could barely rescue myself from getting robbed.


© private Grégoire Boucher (15:58):
Oh! Paris can be tricky, right? © private Afsha Shaik (15:59):
Very much so, Greg. At that point I thought, “I didn’t come here for the same things that happen in India.”


© private Grégoire Boucher (15:59):
I think my worst mistake as a traveler was trying to speak Spanish in Barcelona. I look quite Spanish myself so people expected me to be fluent in Spanish (I’m not at all) and they started talking to me very fast. I was so ashamed because I wasn’t able to understand them. © private Afsha Shaik (16:01):
Yes. Prostitution on tours is simply a no-go in India. It is a safety risk at every point. © private Grégoire Boucher (16:02):
Oh yeah. Drugs in the US (but actually everywhere) are a no-go. I’ve had trouble with French teenagers who wanted to get marijuana in San Francisco and gosh it was scary! I mean trying anything illegal at home is very dangerous, but doing it abroad is even worse! © private Grégoire Boucher (16:04):
Yeah, I had to deal with police officers and explain to them that those students were just dumb, unaware travelers, and convince them not to take them with them...


© private Afsha Shaik (16:05):
I so agree with Greg! Especially with a younger crowd, it’s very difficult to make them understand that people could also take advantage of them.