DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DOT)-Eastern Visayas Director Karen Tiopes has urged local tour guides to strengthen their storytelling skills to invite more visitors. “Tour guiding is storytelling. Tourism is all about stories.
You may have a very beautiful natural site, but that is just a site if there is no story to tell,” said Tiopes. “As guides, we have a great responsibility to bring out the best of our place, the place we call home. You are the heart of the tour,” she added.
As part of its tour guiding project, the DOT in the region trained at least 35 senior citizens from Tacloban City and Palo town in Leye to become community guides. The recently concluded seven-day training program provided a “transformative journey” to the elderly tour guides as they were introduced to various tour guiding topics, the Filipino Brand of Service, and even first aid application. “As tour guides, it is not our job to merely describe what tourists can see.
As elders, we possess a wealth of stories that surpass those of younger people. This is why I requested to engage with you. I hope you will believe that you can be a tour guide,” Tiopes said.
To inspire the participants, Tiopes highlighted the achievements of elderly tour guides like Erlyn Alunan, 63, from San Joaquin, Iloilo, and Artie Lacson, over 80, from Negros. She also showcased Eastern Visayas tour guides based in Samar, such as Eugene Igdalino, who operates the Ulot River Torpedo Boat Extreme Ride and Adventure in Paran.