Tour guides going the extra mile

They are reorganising itineraries and spots to visit to weather rainy days

KUALA LUMPUR: Eager to preserve the local tourist experience, tour operators have been going the extra mile to keep tourists happy despite the prolonged rainy spell.

Tour guides involved in walkabout tours here have come up with innovative ways to keep going, by reorganising their itineraries and spots to visit.

A local tour guide who wanted to be known only as Ooi said he refused to “sit still” despite the lashing rain on most evenings.

“I have to think of ways to satisfy my customers, regardless of the weather. As I do not take deposits for my tours, it is usual for tourists to cancel if the weather turns bad.

“I will usually offer them another tour at a different time but am more than willing to bring them for the tour if they don’t mind the rain, even if only one person comes,” said Ooi, who mainly provides afternoon and evening tours of Chinatown and the surrounding areas in Kuala Lumpur.

He recalled a recent tour which he said went surprisingly well despite the torrid rainfall that day.

“Six people booked my tour but only one showed up after it began to rain heavily at around 4pm. “The man said he was eager for the tour, which then led to me providing him with a one-on-one personal walking tour of the city from Chinatown to Merdeka Square.

“We both got quite wet as we had to share an umbrella, but I was glad that the man ended up enjoying the rainy tour which proved to be a unique experience for the both of us,” he said.

Melaka Tourism Association president Madelina WL Kuah said the stormy weather had little impact on local tourism activities as tour guides had become “flexible”.

“Most tour groups are willing to proceed even if the weather turns bad. There are very few cancellations.

“We usually offer free meals or hotel upgrades, re-routing the programme itineraries or even changing the date, but only if the tour operator can afford to,” she said.

On the recreational side, Sunway Malls & Theme Parks chief executive officer HC Chan said tourists had plenty of other options for fun even during downpours.

“Those who enjoy a good scare, can still head to the Scream Park for some frights as that area of the park is entirely sheltered from the rain so they can have fun while waiting for the rain to subside.

“Sunway’s townships are also seamlessly connected with covered pathways and internal linkages, so if tourists don’t fancy a scare, they can opt to take a walk around our massive mall instead,” he said.