DVD project for Cebu tour guides this year
A cable TV station was commissioned to shoot a DVD that will train tour guides in Cebu to present landmarks and destinations in Cebu island in the best light.
Robert Lim Joseph said his group tapped RCTV (Real Cebu Television) to produce the material which they hope to complete within the year.
Dawnie Roa, former regional director of the Department of Tourism, will head the committee that would oversee the production.
RCTV was asked to submit a proposal within two weeks.
“After that we should be able to move forward,” said Joseph, who leads the projects that will feature travel destinations in Cebu for city tours.
“They already have the capability and they have captured videos of the landmarks in the city that we’d like to be highlighted. We are confident that this project will be another successful endeavor championed by the private sector,” said Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas).
Joseph committed P500,000 to fund the initial production.
The pilot DVD will feature city tours that will be translated in several languages.
The Cebu Association of Tour Guides provided the script that would be used by tour guides.
Mila Espina, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism committee head, volunteered to help improve the master script, said Joseph.
The video will include a five-minute introduction about the Philippines and Cebu and then an explantion of various scenic landmarks.
Joseph said he was confident more parties would contribute to the project since this would help Cebu’s tourism industry.
Several businessmen and tourism related groups welcomed the initative.
Jay Aldeguer, Islands Group president, said this would help professionalize tour guiding in Cebu especially since tour guides were considered among the most critical ambassadors for the industry.
“Tour guiding has been tainted with issues like fly-by-night operators. This is a tool that will help improve that and keep us up to date with the latest trends in tour guiding,” Aldeguer said.
Cecile Saa, Cebu Association of Tour Operators president, agreed.
Saa said the video should cite figures that can be sourced from the Department of Tourism.
“It is important that the information in the video will coincide with that of the tour guide because it might confuse the tourists. Also a script when the tour guide should talk and play the video should be made to ensure a well organized presentation,” she said.
Joseph said the video would help ensure that tourists would experience the best during their tours in Cebu and learn about our culture and history.
“With the video, we think that we can improve that certain product for Cebu. After this, we can move forward with producing many other materials for other destinations in Cebu or other provinces,” said Joseph.
