DENPASAR ~ Most tour guides in Bali lack proper understanding of Balinese culture and give out misleading information, an official said this week.

Rector of the Hindu Dharma Institute I Gede Rudia Adiputra said that tour guides in Bali should have more cultural understanding instead of just learning foreign languages.

He said tour guides generally gained their cultural knowledge from textbooks instead of experience, which led to confusion among tourists.

“They are not able to present complete information because they don’t thoroughly understand and feel the Balinese culture. This makes it difficult for them to explain it to the tourists,” he said.

“Therefore, Balinese Hindus have an opportunity to become tour guides because they practice the culture in their daily lives,” said Adiputra.

Proper training and certification was necessary in order to advance proper understanding of Balinese culture, he said.

“The training should involve religious leaders as well as community leaders, as they are the right people to consult regarding Balinese culture,” he said.