Research

1. Competitiveness of Tour Guides in Bicol Region: Basis for Training
Development Plan
A Title Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School
Lyceum of the Philippines University
Batangas City
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Course
MIHTM 701 – Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism
Submitted by:
Sharmine O. Nuñez
MIHTM Student
Submitted to:
Dr. Noelah Mae D. Borbon
Professor

2. INTRODUCTION
Travelling is part of human nature. It is one of the ways of people to escape
from anxiety, depression, and sadness. They want to experience enjoyment,
recreation and relaxation. It is their avenue to understand the culture, history, religion,
lifestyle and differences of everyone. No matter how far the destination, people are
willing to travel from coast to coast and walk beyond the rough road to satisfy their
curiosity and desire that will conquer their system. No amount of money can pay the
wonderful memories that travelling can give.
Tourism is the biggest and one of the fast growing industries in the world. It
caters different sector like Accommodation, Food and Beverage, Transportation,
Attraction, Events and Travel Agencies. Every sector offers different work. Work that
will showcase people’s skills, knowledge and attitude. (Department of Tourism, 2018)
The Bicol region has recently seen a revival in its tourism industry, due to the
popularity of Mayon Volcano, the new CamSur Water Sports Complex, whale shark
spotting, among others, which consequently increased the number of upscale resorts
in the region. Owing to its location, Region V offers plenty of choices for visitors -
beautiful natural features like beaches, mountains and waterfalls with lush vegetation;
activities could include scuba diving to wrecked galleons, spelunking, mountaineering;
or visits to man-made attractions like church architecture from the Spanish Colonial
Period; etc.( About Bicol Region, Philippines, 2019)
The tourism industry can be divided into five career areas: accommodation,
food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and
travel services. All of these areas involve providing services to people. One of the

3. career opportunity is being a Tour Guide. The tour guide is the “soul” of tourism
industry and plays an essential role in the success of the sector by delivering high
quality service to students. Working in the front line of tourism reception, tour guides
are leading players in enhancing the image and reputation of tourist destinations, with
the service quality that they deliver regarded as an important criterion on the overall
quality of tourism service. On behalf of their locality and country, they mediate the
culture, history and natural and built environment on behalf of domestic or overseas
travelers. When serving international visitors, they promote mutual understanding and
friendship between tourists from all over the world and their home country. Hence they
are called “nongovernmental ambassadors”. (Tour guides, skills and career plan)
Tour Guides are an important aspect of the tourism and travel industry. These
guides add to the tourism industry by providing interesting information to tourists and
travelers in museums and galleries as well as other attractions throughout the world
(Career Tourism, 2018).
The researcher felt the need for this study to know if the tour guides are
competitive and knowledgeable enough in the field that they are in. Researcher also
want to know how effective the tour guides in conveying information to the tourist
amidst covid19.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aims to determine the competitiveness of tour guides in Bicol region
as a basis for Training Development Plan. Specifically, it seeks to; know the profile of
Tour Guides in Bicol Region along Regional Guide, Local Guide, Eco-Guide;
determine the perceived performance of tour guides in terms of Knowledge, Skills, and
Attitude. Also, this study is also anchored to identify the internal and external

4. challenges encountered on the delivery of services of tour guides in Bicol region; The
output of the research will be the proposed enhancement plan on the performance of
Tour Guides in Bicol Region.
REVIEW OF RELATED
Tour Guide
According to the book of Fundamentals of Travel Agency and Tour Operation,
Concepts and Principles by S.K Singh (2014), a Tour Guide provides assistance,
information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people
on organized tours, individual clients, and educational establishment at religious and
historical sites, museums and at venues of other significant interest. They (normally)
have a recognized national or regional tourist guide application. The tourist guiding
qualification is specific to each and every country; in some case the qualification is
national, in some cases it is broken up into regions.
Tour guides are the tour leaders, pathfinders, interpreters, storytellers, and
mentor for tourists. In recent years, the tourism industry increasingly recognized the
important role that tour guide play in the entire tourism system. The performance of
tour guides can influence tourist’s feelings toward business image of travel agencies.
They are the key character regarding the success of the group package tour of travel
agencies. Their professional competencies can make or break tourists experience with
the guided tours and memories of a destination (Al Jahwari et. al.2016, Met.al.2011;
Fronchot & Batat, 2013).
Tourism is a multidisciplinary industry and therefore involves many different
stakeholders for its operational activities. An essential element for sustainable tourism
development in any tourist destination is the participation of active stakeholder and

5. their collaborations. Among them the tourist guides play a major role in the tourism
industry since tourist need to have a clear picture of the country and its offering, laws,
rules and regulations and others expected behavioral patterns. Moreover, guides
should have the ability to transform the tourist visit into an unforgettable experience.
(J.A.Rudmi,Chehanika Sandaruwani et.at, 2015)
J.A Rudmi, Chehanika Sanduruwani et al. (2015) , International Journal of
Human Resource Studies, ISSN 2162-3058, 2017, Vol.7, No.1, January 24,2018
According to the book of Encyclopedia of Tourism Planning and Hospitality
Marketing (2014), improving the tour guides potentials to provide a quality visitors
experience hinges in three factors. First, better target market research is needed in
order to deliver an interpretative experience that meets the expectations and ”needs”
of tour clients and effectively apply the principles of product-market match. Second,
the guide must harness the principles of interpretation as a way of meeting the needs
and expectation of all tour group members and in most cases this means better guide
training in interpretation. More research is needed in countries other than Australia to
ascertain what may be a range of other training needs but the need for interpretation
and minimal impact training is clear.
According to Encyclopedia of Tourism Planning and Hospitality Management
by Vineet Taing, the tour guides role in doing so is to provide accurate and culturally
appropriate interpretation of the site or resource in a way that enhances visitors’
understanding and appreciation of indigenous culture, history, contemporary lifestyle,
values and issues. The tour guide also play in important role in monitoring and
modeling appropriate cross-cultural behavior so that visitors impact in a positive way
economically, culturally, socially and environmentally.

6. Knowledge, Skills and Attitude
Tour guide professional competencies can be seen as part of travel
products, since such competencies can influence tourist perception on service quality
of tour guiding and improving tourist satisfaction for travel agencies. Tour guides are
one of the critical human capitals to make profit in today’s severely competitive market
of the tourism industry. In order to acquire customers of niche market, modern tourism
firm not only have to provide high-quality travel products and innovative services but
also need to cultivate their tour guide’s professional’s competencies, thereby
enhancing tourists’ satisfaction on group package tours. Tour guides should not only
maintain travel quality, but also need to guarantee tourist rights. They are the bridges
between destination and tourist. In addition, tour guides should provide immediate,
proper, intangible, inseparable positive services.(Lin et al. 2014; Hiang & Chen 2014).
Janice Tingum (2018), Becoming more professional at work begins with having
a positive attitude towards your jobs. Aim to demonstrate hard work, dedication and
leadership. Find ways to network with offers in the field and keep informed on new
development affecting your job. As you take steps to become more professional in a
workplace, you may also find greater job satisfaction.
The guides are the critical members in tourism industry and their services are
mainly based on their professional competencies (Chen et al., 2012; Hoarau, 2014;
Mao & Wang, 2010) when guiding the tour groups , they must have broad tourism
related knowledge in order to satisfy different tourists needs (Cetinkaya & Oter, 2016).
Michael Cottle (2014), the knowledge about the destination was also
considered as one of the most important element to evaluate the knowledge of tour

7. guide and it included the skill of arrangement of all the services promise on the itinerary
of tour guide in order to measure the organizational skill of tour guide performance.
Ann Hedi Hansen ET. Al (2017), social skill is particularly important for the
quality of interaction tour guides can build relationship with in among groups of people.
Guides can also negotiate among tourists with different cultural backgrounds and act
as culture brokers or conflict solvers by stimulating interaction among people with
dramatically different agendas, thereby serving as middlemen or intermediaries.
Yi-Chien Lin ET. Al (2017), Tour guides professional competencies are the
mixed-up with various sort of tourism related Knowledge, Skills and Attitude. From
acquisition of certificates to cultivation of professional competencies, Tour guides must
experience long term learning and training.
Cetinkaya and Oter (2016), when guiding the tour groups they must have broad
tourism related knowledge in order to satisfy different tourist needs. Moreover, they
need to possess professional skill to solve specific travel problem.
METHOD
Research Design
To arrive at the desired output, the researcher will apply the the Descriptive
Method. This method will be used to gather information about the Competitiveness of
Tour Guides in Bicol Region. According to Calderon and Gonzales, they stated that
descriptive method is a purposive process of gathering, analyzing, classifying and
presenting the data about prevailing conditions, practices, beliefs, process and the
cause-effect relationships and accurate interpretation of data.

8. Participants of the Study
Margin of Error Confidence Level Pop. Size Response
Distribution
Sample Size
5% 95% 30000 50% 380
This table is taken from Raosoft sample size calculator accessible through
http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html
The population size is taken from an estimate number of tourist within the Bicol
region. The population size is 30000, the margin of error is 5%, with a confidence level
of 95%. The sample size given is 380, in which the questionnaire data gathering
process will be used on.
Alternate scenarios are as follow:
With a sample size of: 100 200 300
Your margin of error would be: 9.78% 6.91% 5.63%
With a level of confidence: 90 95 99
The sample size would be: 269 380 650
Data Collection Instrument
The questionnaire is an adaptation based on the study of Cathy H. C. Hsu,
Andrew Chan and Songshan Huang entitled “Tour Guide Performance and Tourist
Satisfaction: a Study of the Package Tours in Shanghai” that has published Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Research 34(1):3-33.
The main instrument that will be used in data gathering will be the documentary
analysis and questionnaire. The documentary analysis will use to gather data about

9. the profile of Tour Guide in Bicol Region. The questionnaire will design to elicit the
respondents about the competitiveness of Tour Guides and the challenges
encountered on the delivery of services perceived by Tour Guide.
Data Gathering Procedure
A permit to conduct the survey will be secured by the researchers from the
employees of Tourism Office and Tourists of Bicol region signed by the Dean of the
Graduate Studies of Lyceum of the Philippines University, Batangas. Upon the
approval, the researcher will personally distribute and retrieve the questionnaire from,
the respondents. The data gathered will be tabulated and interpreted using the
approximate statistical tools.
Ethical Consideration
In accordance with Data Privacy Act of 2012, the researcher will ensure that the
participants of the study will be informed regarding their roles and the benefits of the
study. Furthermore, they will be subject to voluntary participation and they can
withdraw anytime. Ethical guidelines will be followed and will be put into place for the
research period, reserving the dignity and wellbeing of the respondents at all times.
Moreso, the research data will be treated with utmost confidentiality throughout the
study and the researcher will not disclose any relevant information beyond the purpose
of the study.
Data Analysis
The researcher gather data statistically through the use of weighted mean and
Likert Scale to know the verbal interpretation and the corresponding range scale with
the formula, to with:

10. Weighted mean- was employed in this study to measure the extent and value of
responses on the assessment of the Guest Perception on Tour Guides in Bicol Region.
The formula is:
WM= TW
N
Where: WM=Weighted Mean
TWF=Total Weighted Frequency
N=Number of Respondents
Likerts Scale the verbal interpretation and the corresponding range scale
where used to find out the value reach by the result of the Tourists in Bicol region
rating scale with this corresponding verbal interpretation. In order to qualify easily with
the weighted mean for each indicator, the following rating scale was used as
suggested.
Weight Verbal Interpretation
4 Excellent
3 Very Satisfactory
2 Satisfactory
1 Fair

11. References:
Al Jawari, et al. (2016). International Journal of Human Resources Studies, ISSN
2162-3058, 2017, Vol.7, No.1
Ann Heidi Hansen et al. (2017). Tour Guides Performance and Tourists’ immersion:
Facilitating Consumer immersion by performing a Guide plus Role,
Scandinavian. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, Vol.17 2017-issue 3
Chen et al. 2012; Hoarau, 2014; Mao & Wang. (2010). International Journal of Human
Resource Studies, ISSN 2162-3058 Vol.7, no.1,2017.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v7il.10602
Cetinkaya and Oter (2016), How Tour Guides’ Professional Competencies’ Influence
on Service Quality of Tour Guiding and Tourist Satisfaction: An Exploratory
Research, International Journal of Human Resource
Cottle, M. (2018), A study of Professionalism Teacher Professionalism for Religious
Educators in the Seminary and Institute Department of the Church Educational
System, https://digitalscommons.usu.edu.etd/3897
Encyclopedia of Tourism Planning and Hospitality Marketing, p .63-64,Vol. 1, first
edition 2014, India
Island Properties. (2019). About Bicol Region, Philippines.
https://www.islandsproperties.com/places/bicol.htm

12. J.A Rudmi, Chehanika Sanduruwani et al. (2015) , International Journal of Human
Resource Studies, ISSN 2162-3058, 2017, Vol.7, No.1
Lin et al.2014;Hiang & Chen 2014, International Journal of Human Resources Study,
How Tour Guides Professional Competencies Influence on Service Quality of
Tour Guiding and Tourist Satisfaction: An Exploratory Research, Published:
February 18, 2017, volume 7 no.1, http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v7il.10602,
html,
S.K Singh (2014), Fundamentals of Travel Agency and Tour Operation, Concepts and
Principles, p. 21-22
Tingum, K.(2018), How to become more professional in the workplace, copyright:
2018, Hearst Newspaper, LCC,http://small business.chron.com/become-
professional-workplace,22087.
Vineet Taing, Encyclopedia of Tourism Planning and Hospitality Management, pg.54,
Vol.1, 338.4791 T134e, New Delhi-110 0029 (india)
Yi-Chien Lin et al (2017), International Journal of Human Resource Studies, ISSN
2162-3058 Vol.7, no.1, 2017.http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v7il.10602
Salkind, N. (2010) Convenience sampling in: Encyclopedia of Research Design,
http://methods.sagepub.com/reference/encyc-of-research-design/n78.xml

13. Appendix A: Consent Letter
Participants Name
Address
Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I am a student of Lyceum University of the Philippines – Batangas Campus,
and I am conducting research study regarding “Competitiveness of tour guides in Bicol
region: Basis for Training Development Plan.
For the purpose of completing the said research, kindly allow me to interview,
gather data, and distribute questionnaire.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the study, you
can reach me at 09498233188 or sharmineorosco091412@gmail.com.
Prayerfully hoping that this request will merit your favorable approval.
Thank you and God bless.
Sincerely,
Sharmine O. Nunez

14. Appendix B: Questionnaire
Directions: Please fill up the necessary information on the blank provided and check the
box corresponding to your answer.
I. PROFILE
Name:______________________________________Gender:____Age:______
(Optional)
 Regional Guide
 Local Guide
 Eco-Guide
II. Perceive performance of Tour Guides
As a primary customer of Guest perception of Tour Guides in Bicol Region, how do
you assess those tour guides using the indicators provided below? To rate, please refer
to the following scale.
4- Excellent
3- Very Satisfactory
2- Satisfactory
1- Fair

15. A. KNOWLEDGE 4 3 2 1
1. Know the prevalent mores of the region
2. Know the geography of the region
3. Culturally literate
4. Ability to carry out the duties everyday
5. Good understanding about the site’s cultural,
historical, and social significances.
B. SKILLS 4 3 2 1
1. Have good communication skills
2. Practice Team work
3. Possess Leadership qualities
4. Customer care
C. ATTITUDE 4 3 2 1
1. Approachable
2. Sensitive
3. Possess Integrity

16. III. Challenges Encountered
Direction: Please check the number that corresponds to your answer. To rate, please
refer to the following scale.
4 3 2 1
1. Not a good listener
2. Unable to give clear instructions
3. Doesn’t give due care especially when the
travelers are senior citizens.
4. Lack of interpersonal skills
5. Difficulty in relating with co-tour guides
6. Lack of sense of humor
7. Give ultimatum’s that will be enforced
8. Doesn’t adopt an attitude of friendliness
9. Insensitive
10. Fail to master the subject
4. Observe proper decorum
5.Sense of Humor