More Mandarin-speaking guides to be needed when Davao-Quanzhou flights start

DAVAO CITY – The demand for Chinese-speaking tour guides is expected to increase as Xiamen Airlines opens direct flights between Davao City and Quanzhou, China on December 18, City Tourism Office head Generose Tecson said on Tuesday.

She said the city expects to welcome more Chinese -- both tourists and investors -- after the launch of its thrice weekly flights next week.

The route may have been rendered more viable with the recent signing of a sister-city agreement between this city and Jinjiang, Quanzhou in Fujian province.

“This also opens more opportunities in terms of answering needs for more Mandarin-speaking tour guides, destinations and accommodations,” she said.

She said the city only has two existing accredited tour guides fluent in Mandarin.

The tourism chief added they are currently looking for more candidates who would be willing to be trained to become guides.

Xiamen Airlines-Philippines General Manager Lin Huagon said, in a letter sent to the members of the Davao press last December 4, that the firm was launching the new route to “provide an efficient and effective transport service to link the two cities.”

He said Davao was the “pioneer and model” of China’s cooperation with different areas being the Philippines city that has one of the closest cooperation with China.

He said the signing of DavaoJinjiang sister city agreement aimed to foster “bilateral cultural and economic exchange and promote tourism between two cities.”

“Davao has been an integral part of China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, in which global infrastructure and international economic development are promoted,” he said.

On October 28, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Group launched a direct four times a week Davao-Hong Kong flight while the Consul General Office of the People’s Republic of China opened on the same day.

The consular office started accepting visa applications on December 10.

Chinese tourists are currently the third highest market of the city. First are Americans, followed by Japanese tourists, according to a report from CTO.