FREELANCE TOUR GUIDE Terri Chua, 45, welcomes a group of tourists at Changi Airport. He gets three to four assignments a week and says his earnings vary greatly, probably affected by changing travel patterns as an increasing number of people forgo paying for guides in favour of more independent travel. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

Then, the country welcomed 883,000 visitors in January this year, up 6.9 per cent year on year and setting a record.

So it may come as a surprise to hear many tourist guides say they are not profiting from the boom, as The Sunday Times found out while speaking to 10 of them.

Take Mr James Ng, 55. The freelance guide, who has been in the business since 1975, said the number of tours he leads varies greatly and he can spend 'many days sitting at home'. He declined to reveal how much he earns.

Freelance guide Terri Chua, 45, who gets three to four assignments a week, said earnings vary greatly. He noted that a good guide can earn at least $2,000 to $3,000 a month.

Of the 1,962 licensed guides here, most are freelancers while some are employed by tour operators.

Industry sources said earnings - which vary from $20 to $140 per assignment - have been affected by changing travel patterns.

Said Ms Cathy Xin Ke, 29,

a part-time Mandarin-speaking guide since 2002: 'More people travel individually or go free and easy and choose not to pay for a guide.'

Many guides are also experiencing a dip in takings due to the strength of the Singapore dollar.

Mr Sydney Ortega, 68, a guide for over 40 years, said: 'The spending power of the tourist is not as high as it was two decades ago.' He used to make $3,000 to $4,000 a month but now earns $1,000 to $2,000.

But given that tourism growth has been strong, Ms Agnes Shew, assistant director for Singapore Ducktours which conducts amphibious tours, felt that job prospects for guides were good but the industry had to work harder to attract more fresh school-leavers.

Figures from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) showed that over 150 people joined the profession last year, perhaps spurred by major developments coming up - the integrated resorts (IRs) and the Youth Olympics.

Indeed, Mr Loi Hai Poh, 51, chief executive officer of the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS), said he has seen a rise in the number of applicants for the institute's guide courses in the last two years.

Businessman Yap Boon Peng, 45, a TMIS trainee, said: 'It's practical because in a few years' time, with the IRs and Youth Olympics, demand will be very high.' He felt he could be a full-time guide when demand was high and has been honing his skills in advance.

One promising area now is niche tours.

Ms Diana Chua, 48, who handles heritage tours, said she was busier last year than in previous years. She said: 'About 15 per cent of my clients are visitors and they are now more affluent and educated, so they are keen for more specialised information.'

Ms Charmaine Goh, 26, operations and marketing manager for Journeys which does walking tours, said visitors are requesting for more personalised itineraries.

Ms Anna-Maria Champalbert, 61, who can speak seven languages, said the Russian market is growing and guide fees can be 30 to 40 per cent higher.

STB said it conducts quarterly product updates to help guides keep up with what is in demand.

At the end of the day, however, guides must do more to keep the customer happy.

As Ms Jean Wang, 53, deputy chairman for the Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore), said: 'There is always room for guides who can entertain and inform customers beyond what they can find in books or on the Internet.'

shulis@sph.com.sg