Shahbaz Akramzadeh est un guide-conférencier privé local en Tadjikistan

I was a second-year student when one of my teachers introduced me to the head of a local inbound tour agency. And this is how my journey to the distant corners of Tajikistan and hopefully further outside of the country started. I was sent to Penjikent, a city in northern Tajikistan, along with my friend. Both of us spend there 10 days to see how other tour guides do their job. Later, I was joining tour groups as an assistant guide. To be honest, at the beginning my primary interest was just to improve my English. But I didn’t realize how this job is so intertwined with geography, history, and culture, subjects that I love most. Gradually, my skills improved and I started guiding short tours. Meanwhile, I graduated from my university. After graduation, I went on to guide the groups. Day by day I “fall in love” with guiding. After all, this was the job that required knowledge of my favorite subjects. Eventually, the geography of my guiding extended further to the Pamir mountains.

It has been 8 years that I am guiding foreign travelers throughout Tajikistan. It is said that only a tiny percentage of the world's population loves their job. I think I belong to this minority group. First of all, it should be noted that I had no idea of becoming a tour guide back in my school years. Many factors make this job so interesting. Firstly, the process of guiding is itself traveling. I enjoy my work very much as I travel throughout my country and abroad with those whom I guide. And every time I find something new to learn. Besides, I am not a person who can enjoy an office job. Secondly, guiding allows me to learn more and expand my horizons. This is a continuous process of learning. Once you stop learning, you fall behind the others. This sounds frightening to some people, but I love it. Thirdly, you meet different people from different countries. It is a wonderful opportunity of making friends around the world. During my working experience, I worked with people from more than 50 countries. And last but not the least, this job gives you sufficient income. With the current cost of living in Tajikistan, I earn enough for myself and my family and even save some money for the future. I am very happy with the job I have. After all, one can only dream of a job that is profitable and gives the opportunity to travel, learn and make friends. My life changed completely from the moment I entered the sphere of tourism. I owe a lot to my teachers, friends, colleagues, and family for their support. I would never reach this level of success without them.