The government will also decide the rates of the guides as per the destinations. The ministry will be supported by the UNESCO, which will support the guide training programme.

The destinations chosen for the training programme in Uttar Pradesh, are Varanasi, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra, Ayodhya and Mathura.

The selection of the destinations is based on the tourist arrival in these cities. The 30-day training programme will begin in Agra and Varanasi from Monday, where the guides have already been shortlisted.

AK Agarwal, the programme coordinator for Uttar Pradesh, said: “ Since there is not much literature available for the guides, they find it difficult to update their knowledge. The programme will provide them authentic information about each destination and will give them a certificate of from UNESCO, that they are the certified guides.”