BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Tourism Department in the Cordilleras revealed that Baguio City, the country's so-called summer capital, only has three accredited tourist guides.
Local tourism director Purificacion Molintas said training tourist guides is both long and taxing, with accreditation taking 26 days to complete.
There are continuing efforts for training tourist guides but most cannot afford the almost a month-long training, Molintas said.
There are more than a hundred non-accredited tourist guides in the tourist destination, conducting their business without the guide of the government.
A local official from the tax collecting agency added that some hotels are also underdeclaring their occupancy rates in an effort to avoid additional taxes.
Molintas said hotel occupancy figures reported by the hotels are taken as official.
She added that other problems continue to plague Baguio City's tourism industry, such as poor infrastructure and the lack of a fully operational airport.
Baguio hosts at least a million tourists yearly, peaking during Panagbenga, the famed Flower Festival. It is being promoted by the national government through its tourism roadmap. (Artemio Dumlao)