The Philippine tourism industry is back on its feet after a year-long hiatus and three more years of gradual recovery after the country underwent a major economic, political, and sociological shift due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In a recent article by the Department of Tourism published on January 2, 2024, DOT Chief Hon. Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco said that the country’s local tourism industry is recovering faster than expected. Fitch Solutions predicted a pre-pandemic rise of tourism more than the Department of Tourism target of 7.7 million. According to a study conducted by Tanković et al. (2021) entitled “Importance of Soft Skills and Communication Skills in Tourism: Viewpoint from Tourists and Future Tourism Employees,” they concluded that tour guides regard both nonverbal and oral communication skills as an integral possession in the hospitality industry.

As part of this holistic tourism experience, Richard A. Giye and Jhordan T. Cuilan-faculty members of BSU, explored the strategic communicative competencies patterns of local tour guides in Sagada through their study on “Strategic Competences of Local Tour Guides.

These include their deficits as well as their strategies for addressing communication breakdowns during conversations with tourists.

Branded as the ‘Mystical Haven’ and boasting some of the most beautiful attractions in the mountainous region of Cordillera, Sagada remains a popular destination with the Philippine News Agency reporting more than 100,000 tourists from January 1-November 30, 2023.

According to the researchers, tourist workers are considered the lifeblood of the tourism industry. The study pointed out, “With the demand of the tourism industry for standard customer service and to usher economic growth by developing tourism spots in the Cordillera, it is necessary to maintain the communicative efficiency of tour guides.”

In the case of Sagada, Giye called it “a resting destination that provides mid-energy physical activities.” He explains that tourists taking the Baguio-Sagada-Kalinga route often look for a more reserved tour experience after being exposed to the hype of the city. Oftentimes, communication is fostered because of cultural curiosity.

With the participation of 22 tour guides from the central barangays of Poblacion, Dagdag, and Demang attending to 87 local and foreign tourists, the study found four major communication breakdowns that frequently happen during interactions. These are resource deficit; processing time pressure; perceived deficiency in one’s own language; and perceived deficiency in the interlocutor’s performance.

To expound, three deficits were identified in the first communication breakdown. Lexical deficit (the insufficiency of vocabulary bank); grammatical deficit (lack of knowledge on the use and understanding of grammar structures and grammatical rules); and phonological deficit (deficit in the proper pronunciation of words and statements).

The researchers also identified three problems that affect the time it takes for tour guides to respond in the language of the tourists. These include the occurrence of unfilled pauses; the use of fillers; and the production of repeated words, often an unconscious repetition of words.

Additionally, the study revealed what the local tour guides perceived as their deficiencies that affect communication breakdown. These are lapses in words or errors in words spoken; inappropriate messages; and the production of repeated words.

There are also perceived deficiencies on the tourists’ part which affects the smooth flow of conversation. These are unheard responses from the other person; unclear responses from the tour guides; admission of non-understanding; and unsure of what was heard or feigning understanding.

Against all of the identified deficiencies, however, the researchers documented several strategies employed by the local tour guides of Sagada to make up for the mishaps in communication.

The tour guides creatively make use of various strategies in dealing with different communication issues. For instance, one tour guide, through approximation, used a “ball” to explain the fetal position of the dead bodies in Sagada. Other strategies were hand gestures, code-switching, and self-repetition among others.

The study concluded that there are sufficient verbal and non-verbal communication strategies used by the local tour guides in Sagada to resolve communication breakdowns.

The researchers further noted, “Tour guides of Sagada have a natural lively conversation and are known to throw a lot of humorous statements, especially during spelunking and mountain trekking. They need to do this for the visitors to not think about the tiring and difficult trek or the fear of going inside caves.”

Giye further suggested that tourism teachers may find the practical knowledge of Sagada tour guides helpful in their discussions. He reasoned that while most of them did not have any scholarly background, it was their years of experience and encounters that molded their expertise, and thus should be trusted.

He also pointed out that Sagada tour guides were well-equipped as they underwent a rigorous process before deployment which included training and seminars on basic English language; history; and basic understanding of the flora and fauna of Sagada among others.

According to Giye, the study results were disseminated to the community which became one of the primary bases for Sagada’s tourism policy-making and ten-year strategic plan. //CANapiloy