THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is urging local government units with much tourism potentials to invest in tour guides.
Tourists will appreciate the place better with the help of competent tour guides.
They exhibit a more tourist-friendly ambiance and increase the chances of tourists to come back, according to Regional Director Helen Catalbas.
The tourism department wants more DOT-accredited tour operators and tour guides in nearby Guimaras Island.
At present, there are 16 DOT-accredited tourism-related establishments in the island province including resorts, pension houses, tour guides and tourist inns.
Catalbas said Guimaras has a lot of tourism destinations and products to offer and there is an urgent need to develop and market more tourism products and more accredited tour operators and tour guides to sell them.
"We need to make sure that tourists get to experience the best of Guimaras when they visit the island province," she said.
Catalbas added tour guides should work full-time due to the increasing demand for their services in Western Visayas.
She emphasized that Guimaras is an ideal complementary destination as it is just 15 minutes away from Iloilo City which is one of the primary gateways of the region.
The province of Guimaras offers not only its premier product, the sweet mangoes and other fruits but also sun and beach tourism, diving and marine sports, nature-based tourism, eco-tourism and agri-farm, among others.