View of a tour guide

Julian Zarb's article (April 15) entitled View Of A Tour clearly shows that his view of tours is very myopic.

Before explaining why things are done the way they are, we need to put things straight. First of all, it is indeed unfortunate that when a forceful article that sends shock waves right to the top appears in the local media (Unfinished Malta - Impressions of a Cruise Tourist, April 11) sure enough a "hero comes along" and shoots it down.

If Mr Zarb has been highlighting these things for seven years, clearly his voice has fallen on deaf ears. While reassuring him that tourist guides do their utmost to present Malta's cultural heritage to the best of their ability, we strongly believe that we need to take a good, long look at ourselves, roll up our sleeves and start to do the nitty-gritty work. The notion of creativity and innovation is his utopian dream. You can have the most beautiful furniture in your house and you can be the most creative person in the world, but if your house is broken and filthy it's still a dump. We tourist guides strongly believe that all parties with vested interests in our tourist industry should fully support all the issues raised by Vanessa MacDonald in her article.

Would you go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame de Paris? Likewise, our visitors want to tread the beaten track. It is obvious that the majority of cruise passengers, who are only here for a few hours, opt for the traditional tours. In Malta the Mdina and Valletta tours are the most popular - and Mdina and Valletta have never looked so dismal! However, we can assure Mr Zarb that we will be more than happy to provide him with a list of "creative", off-the-beaten track tours that we offer.

The following is a list of confused issues that Mr Zarb raised and which we would like to clarify:

It is not the responsibility of guides to have contingency plans; it is the tour operator who establishes them. Any changes to the tour itinerary have to be reported to the head office and approved by the company prior to implementation.

If Mr Zarb had to experience the number of accidents we experience daily he would warn people over and over again about the treacherous pavements and other dangers. We dedicate special attention to the welfare of participants in our groups precisely because we are hospitable and caring. We strive to give a quality service but service alone does not suffice. Product, comfort and presentation are fundamental to customer satisfaction.

Tour itineraries are becoming increasingly hectic. The number of sites listed on a tour programme determines sales. Cruise visitors want to maximise their time so they tend to opt for the fuller programmes. Groups of cruise visitors normally number from 40 to 50 people. Most participants are senior citizens. This means that the group moves slowly yet the guide has to adhere strictly to both the itinerary and the time constraints.

To this one has to add the time-consuming problems we face to access St John's Co-Cathedral and to take people around, as well as to access the State Rooms, where groups have to go up and down the same dark, narrow, dusty 40 steps. Then there are the "rest room" stops (that's another story) and so on and so forth. Mr Zarb, if you had to be conducting that tour and you had to be back at the quay at a specific time, you would pass through Old Theatre Street and not Archbishop Street, in spite of the market.

Yes, Mr Zarb, the makeshift carts selling dogs, bread, beads, tattoos, plaits, shoe shine... at City Gate do obscure the 400- (not 500-) year wealth of history and culture.

Communication with drivers is not an issue at all. We usually discuss and agree upon the route jointly. They are the experts: They know which roads are accessible and which not. It is common practice for the guide to rely on the drivers' expertise.

Meeting points and departure times are usually explained to clients on arrival. Certain meeting points are not clearly defined because of lack of signage (as you have mentioned) otherwise we fail to see your point. Most guides do not wash dirty linen in public and would pay special attention to maintaining the reputation of the country and the company they work for.

Tourists' expectations go far beyond "expecting attention". A tourist who pays money to go on a tour expects good value for it: well-maintained sites, a clean environment, available restrooms... the order is tall.

Vanessa Macdonald's article barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Let's stop fooling ourselves and get our act together. If we want to give tourists a positive experience we have to be rigid or maybe even militant. Flexibility is not productive - it is simply a cover-up for incompetence.

Ms Mizzi is the president of the Malta Union of Tourist Guides.