FRONTLINERS of the Department of Tourism-Western Visayas (DoT-6) are undergoing training in Mandarin language as the region anticipates up to 300,000 Chinese visitors next year out of the 1.5 million expected nationwide. DoT-6 Regional Director Helen J. Catalbas said that in 2017, about 100,000 Chinese visited the region, which includes the popular Boracay Island. Ms. Catalbas said they have started the training of tour guides from Aklan, the province under which Boracay belongs. “It will be followed by training of guides from lloilo and Bacolod,” she added. The tourism official also said that they are in talks with several tour operators for possible chartered flights from China to Iloilo, specificially from the cities of Guangzhou and Xiamen, which are closer to the Philippines. Existing flights between Iloilo and Hongkong as well as Iloilo-Singapore are “getting stronger” in terms of passenger load, she added. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

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