VIGAN CITY (PIA) — The Tour Guides of Ilocos Sur (TGIS) Association, Inc. held an extemporaneous tour guiding contest at the La Casa Blanca Hotel in Calle Crisologo, Vigan City on September 27.
 
Some 14 students from seven schools competed through the on-the-stop tour-guiding where photos of destinations, Ilokano dishes and local heroes were shown as they explained the history, background and details to the tourists.
 
Among the destinations shown were the Bantay Bell Tower, Pinsal Falls, Vigan Metropolitan Cathedral, and Sabang Beach in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur. 
 
Local delicacies such as pipian of Vigan, miki, pinakbet, Ilocos empanada and longganisa were also featured in the selection.

The University of Northern Philippines (UNP), Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC) Candon, Vigan National High School East (VNHSE), and St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur are few of the schools that participated.
 
First place winner of the said contest, Kateryn Ann Andallo of VNHSE won P7,000, the second placer, Rhosevie Joy Galanga from ISPSC Candon took home P5,000, while the third placer, Laiza Mae Fernando of UNP won P3,000.
 
All non-winners were given P1,000 each as consolation prize.
 
TGIS President Michael Ryan Astom said, “This is in line with the celebration of the World Tourism Day 2022. We invited tourism students of various schools and colleges to participate. This will create awareness especially that the tourism industry in our province is going back to normal.”

“It is necessary for tourism students to be taught proper tour-guiding, our tour guides are the show window to the province. Whether or not the tourists come back is reliant on them,” he said.
 
According to him, the conduct of the activity has been a practice since 2014 on World Tourism Day during his tenure as the then Provincial Tourism Officer.
 
During the event, the TGIS Association, Inc. also launched the Tour Ilocos Sur App which can be downloaded on Android or IOS.
 
The application was created for tourists visiting the province to easily locate restaurants, hotels, tourist spots, and food products.

As it develops, they plan to include a feature where tourists will see pop-ups of current events related to tourism activities in the province.
 
Meanwhile, Ilocos Sur Vice Governor Ryan Luis Singson joined the activity and awarded the certificates and prizes to the winners along with TGIS Association, Inc. president. (JCR/AMB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)