THE Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas is sponsoring a webinar on storytelling for tour guides on August 13, Thursday. Yours truly has been chosen as resource person for a two-hour lecture to be followed by actual storytelling demonstration and open forum.
Atty. Helen Catalbas, regional director of DOT-Western Visayas, is optimistic that sooner than expected, tourism in the region will be back on its feet stronger and more cohesive. That could be the reason for having this webinar as early as this to strengthen the storytelling capacity of our accredited tour guides, tourism officers, and staff of varied tourism offices in the region.
Tour guides are the frontliners in tourism industry. They are the mouthpieces of this world's biggest investment. They can sell our best tourism products and packages with their playfulness in words. First-rate selling is best storytelling and this can be done by exploring the varied genres of tourism stories. To sell is to tell and telling should be convincing. The appeal should touch human reason and emotion.
We all know that storytelling is always amusing. The stories of our grandparents on heroism and adventurism always excite us to be like the story characters. Legends, fairytales and myths are amusing to children and even adults. They fatten the heart and stir the imagination. People from all walks of life always look forward to the next adventures of Justice League and the Avengers.
In tour guiding, good storytellers can always persuade the tourists to see further the beauty of the place, the significance of the festival, the elegance of the food, the color of history, and the greatness of local heroes. Tour guides have been professionally trained but there is always a need to further enhance their skill in showcasing their personality through body projection. Storytelling is acting but not overacting.
Stories need not be boring that is why the tour guide should offer tourists the different story genres that have evolved from the personal and vicarious experiences of people from the varied strata of society. Events, circumstances, incidents and occurrences could be the sources of the stories and they are made by small and big people.
We have success stories from the farm, paranormal exploits, historical episodes, fantastic events, extraordinary talents, evolution of cuisine, religious practices and even the kaleidoscopic life of the filthy rich and the badly off. You have the thrill from the upland, the tingle from the beaches, and the news-mongering from the urban's "alta sociedad" and "neo-burgis."
Other than Director Catalbas, the webinar is also facilitated by Tin Mansinares, chief of the Tourism Development Division; Tim Ticar, area-in-charge of Negros Occidental; and Princess Bala-an, my DOT contact lady. Dr. Ronnie Baldonado is our official documentarist.
Actual storytelling demonstration will be done on site as far as possible. The webinar base is 1898 Casa y Restaurante in Ciudad de Silay. It is the heritage house of Generoso Gamboa, one of the leaders of the Cinco de Noviembre 1898 Revolution. He also became mayor of Silay during the American Colonial Period. The house is embellished with Art Nouveau decorative pierced screens or "callado" and cast iron-brackets.
We would like to thank Silay City Government, Barangay Cinco de Noviembre, Larga Café by Pokritas, Silay Tourism Office, Hacienda Adela Folklore Village, Asosasyon sang mga Mangunguma sa Adela (AMA). We are also grateful to the Association of Tour Guides-Negros, Association of Tourism Officers in Negros, Association of Tourism officers in Western Visayas, tourism pillars, tour operators, travel agencies and the academe. More power Western Visayas tourism!