WITH the recent launch of direct flights from Davao City to Chinese cities, there must be more Dabawenyo tourist guides who can speak Chinese, a tourism officer said.
Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head Generose Tecson underscored the importance of academic institutions in creating Chinese-speaking tourist guides.
“Sa tingin ko Malaki ang magiging role ng mga schools para maform rin natin itong mga tourist guides na ito especially that magiging marami na rin ang mga Chinese tourists given with those flights (In my perspective, the schools will play a big role in forming these tourist guides especially that there will be a lot of Chinese tourists given with those flights),” Tecson said in an interview on Monday, November 5, 2018 at Seda Hotel, Davao City.
Tecson added this might be incorporated with the current academic curriculum program of the K to 12.
“Pwede rin sana na maging parte siya ng curriculum sa senior high school para maturuan ang mga bata ng Chinese language (It could also be part in the curriculum of the senior high school program where students are taught the Chinese language),” Tecson said.
The tourism head also said the Chinese schools in Davao City can be a good training ground to create this batch of tourist guides.
“Given naman na rich ang Chinese heritage dito sa Davao, then pwede natin itong gawin as a good jumping out para gumawa ng tourism opportunities (Given with the rich Chinese heritage here in Davao, then we might create this as a good jump off point to create tourism opportunities),” Tecson added.
Last October 29, Cathay Pacific Group launched their direct four-times-a-week Hong Kong-Davao-Hong Kong flights, which will be operated by its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon. The flight will be operated eight times weekly until December this year.
Meanwhile starting December 18, XiamenAir will launch thirce-weekly direct flights between Davao City and Jinjiang in Fujian province of China.