LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – More tourism industry workers in Pangasinan have been trained as ‘tour guides’ who underwent trainings on knowledge and practical skills in community tour guiding administered by industry experts.
The community tour guiding seminar held from July 31 to August 6 which was organized by the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office in partnership with the Department of Tourism – Region 1 (DOT-R1) accommodated 32 tour guide protégées from various parts of Pangasinan.
“The happy industry workers and Pangasinan tourism partners – newly graduated tour guides – are reinforcements to the province’s aggressive tourism promotions agenda,” said Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Malu Elduayan.
Tour guiding services have become in-demand, following the influx of more tourists in Pangasinan who frequently visit the various tourism wonders the province offers. According to the 2017 report on the state of the province delivered by Governor Amado I. Espino, III, Pangasinan in 2016 posted 8.78million tourist arrivals which surpassed the 2015 data with 6.75million.
Top three most visited tourist come-ons in Pangasinan are: Provincial Capitol Complex in Lingayen, Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag, and the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City.
Meanwhile, DOT-R1 Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Evangeline Dadat said the seminar also includes the ‘DOT accreditation procedure’ for tour guiding.
“Anyone who will pass the written exam, practical guiding, walk tour, and mock tour onboard a bus gets accredited,” Dadat said.
Some resource speakers and trainers from the tourism industry include: DOT – ASEAN trainer Enrique Esguerra and DOT-R1 trainer Rey Jorda.
Newly-accredited tour guides are sent mostly by private organizations, local government units, and the PTCAO.
Prior to the community tour guiding seminar, Pangasinan lists less than 20 tour guides.
By Dexter A. See