Cebu tour operators to hire Mandarin-speaking guides

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1028184
• Saturday, March 10, 2018 4:39 pm

By Luel Galarpe (PNA)

CEBU CITY -- Tour operators in Cebu will be hiring tour guides who can speak Mandarin to Chinese tourists.

Chinese tourists have raised concerns over the language barrier that gives them a difficult time communicating with their Cebuano tour guides.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said Saturday she had already met with Cebu tour operators and discussed the issue with them.

During the meeting, the tour operators assured Magpale that they would address this concern by hiring Mandarin-speaking tour guides.

Earlier, Consul General Shi Yong of the People’s Republic of China said almost one million Chinese visited Cebu in 2017.

Magpale said the increasing number of visitors from China only means that Cebu has become one of the popular destinations for tourists from that country.

With the new flights from Xi’an, China to Cebu and Davao, Magpale said they are expecting the arrival of more Chinese tourists in Cebu and the Visayas.

“We are ready to welcome the influx of more tourists, not only from China but also from Korea, the United States of America, and other countries as well,” Magpale said.