Pacete: Tour guide as a resource person

JENNY Cordero is inviting a “brain trust” to be her resource persons tomorrow in her tour guiding seminar at STI West Negros University. Our friend and colleague, Jenny, is having a part-time professorial job in tourism in that university and in my alma mater, Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod.

That could be good because she could readily update tourism students on the latest trends. So, she is not just a permanent employee at the Provincial Tourism Office, but a missionary in bringing out the tourism program of the Capitol. We encourage schools, tour operators, and travel agencies (including resort operators and travel agencies) to consider our tourism officers as resource persons.

Jenny’s “brain trust” is composed of Rudy Reveche of Colegio San Agustin to talk on “Negros History, Arts, and Culture”. Rudy is a theater guy and has connections at the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts.

Raymund Alunan Bayot of the Provincial Tourism Office will talk on “Tour Guiding in Bacolod”. This chap is adept on the “criss-cross” of Bacolod’s society, memorable past, and significant features in the Catholic Church.

I have been invited to speak on the issue, “The Tour Guide as a Resource Person”. I would like to expand the knowledge of our students on tourism.

Tourism is a colossal industrial labyrinth for top entrepreneurs who made their ambition a reality through excellent planning and sterling execution of business strategy.

The end products are quality services for satisfied customers and herculean return of investment for the industrialists. Tourism as an industry requires top-notch infrastructure projects, first- rate food, admirable services, outstanding maintenance of peace and order, and colorful publicity and promotion.

Government officials should work hand in hand with the business sector, academe, and the communities to prepare the towns, cities, provinces, and the region in general to promote tourism potentials. Events should be backed up by the “tourism factories” and the “marketing arms” to drumbeat tourism outside of the region and even abroad. The politics of tourism will lead us to the peak of the world.

Ecology tourism should play a vital role to attract tourists in our natural spots and to encourage them to plant seedlings in our areas for rehabilitation (fruit-bearing and endemic species).

History and tourism should bind themselves for the survival of our heritage and culture as part of our Filipino values. We have to identify our buildings and monuments, unique literature, hometown food, art pieces, and the indigenous people.

Let us take pride in the inventions of the world. Let us use technology to be a part of the “complicated civilization.” Let the world know through technology that the Philippines exists. We have to prove something. If others can do better, we can do best, even beyond our best.

A tour guide to be a resource person should do all of those and beyond. Tourism is on top of Negros and we can remain still on top by having the best team of marketing men for the industry.