300 Tourist Aides in Ilocos Norte Ready for Deployment

At least 300 tourist aides in the province are now ready for dispatch in at least 39 tourist attractions around the province.

Xavier Ruiz, operations officer of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office, said tourism is not just about breathtaking attractions, marvelous events, infrastructures, and advertisements.

“Most of the time, it is about ensuring that our guests are well taken cared of. That there is enough food, toilets are clean, and traffic and security are well in place. It’s making sure that they don’t get lost and they make the most out of their visit,” said Ruiz during an orientation seminar on Tuesday at the Ilocos Norte Capitol auditorium.

Every year, particularly during the summer season, the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office, along with various stakeholders, gear up for the expected influx of tourists.

Xavier highlighted the vital role of tourism ambassadors in ensuring that visitors leave with “wonderful memories” and will look forward to coming back.

The newly-hired tourism ambassadors composed of students, senior citizens, and out-of-school youth, will be deployed in major tourist destinations being managed by the Ilocos Norte government.

Prior to deployment, each of them has to undergo orientation seminar to promote the Ilocanos brand of hospitality.

Part of the orientation is to train them on how to properly interact with tourists and help make their stay in the province memorable and worthwhile.

Each will earn a salary of more than PHP300 per day.

As part of the Task Force Trabaho initiative of Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos, thousands of jobs mostly in the tourism sector have been created to provide the youth and unemployed sectors in the province an opportunity to earn, explore and enlighten tourists about Ilocos Norte’s cultural richness.

In 2018, Ilocos Norte has been awarded as the country’s best tourism-oriented local government unit for its initiative in boosting the local tourism industry with an estimated three million tourists annually.

For three years now, the Ilocos Norte government has also opened senior citizens’ employment program wherein they are hired as story tellers in museums.

Marcos believes that senior citizens are the best candidates to provide accurate information on Ilocos Norte’s history and culture. (PNA)