LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Lo 1. Define commentary;
Lo 2. Understand the role of the tour guide as an
educator; and
Lo 3. Apply the steps in preparing a tour commentary.
PRE-ASSESSMENT
 TOUR
COMMENTAR
Y
Preparing Tour Spiel
 TOUR
COMMENTARY
 Also known as “guidespeak”

 Refers to what tour guides say in front

of the guests when describing an
attraction.
 TYPES 1. REQUIRED
OF
COMMENTA ~ A required commentary is a
memorized script usually provided by a
RY
1. REQUIRED
company for its guides.
~ Tour guides are discouraged but not
2. prohibited to change or modify a
INFORMATIV required commentary.
E
3. REQUESTED
4. OPTIONAL
 TYPES 2. INFORMATIVE
OF
COMMENTA ~ highlights the guide’s role as an
educator.
RY
1. REQUIRED
~ tour guides explain to the visitors the
meaning and relevance of the things
2. and symbols in the environment in a
INFORMATIV language that the visitors could easily
understand and relate to.
E
3. REQUESTED
4. OPTIONAL
 TYPES 3. REQUESTED

OF ~ When requested or asked, tour

COMMENTA guides should provide commentary to
address particular needs and inquiries
RY
1. REQUIRED
of the tourists.
~ Tour guides must always come
2. prepared because they didn’t know
INFORMATIV what their guests might ask.
E
3. REQUESTED
4. OPTIONAL
 TYPES 4. OPTIONAL

OF ~ Optional commentaries highlight

COMMENTA the tour guide’s engaging and
RY
1. REQUIRED
entertaining traits.
~ allows for the tour guide’s deeper
2. involvement in a conversation and
INFORMATIV analysis.
E
3. REQUESTED
4. OPTIONAL
Steps in • Know your Guests,
Preparing Tour Itinerary, and Sources
Commentary: of information (GIS)
• Then Jot it down,

GIS- Organize and Execute

(JOE)

JOE
 GIS-JOE
1. First, know who your guests are. What is their age bracket? Are they
students or working adults? Are there more females then males? And
so on.

2. Know the tour itinerary. Study the tour program. What are the
attractions to be visited? How many minutes are allotted per tourist
attraction?
 GIS-JOE
3. Gather information for the scheduled tourist attractions. There are many
sources of information that a tour guide can access to. Refer to our lesson
about sources of information.
4. Jot down or write down the important information. Identify if the
information gathered is relevant to the tourist attractions. Make a draft of
the commentary that you will present, then edit and proofread it if
necessary.
5. Execute or perform the commentary. This is the stage to carry out the
commentary that you have made.
 PARTSMake
OF TOUR
a Plan
COMMENTARY
1 2 3 4 5

Introduction Body Reaction

Reminders Closing
 1.INTRODUCTION

Greet the tour participants, introduce yourself

(and the driver), and get to know the members of
the group.
Provide an overview of the tour schedule and
what to expect during the tour.
 1.INTRODUCTION

“Hi I’m Yanna, your guide for this tour, and this is Andrew our assigned
driver. On behalf of Nice Tours, I'd like to welcome you all to the
Philippines. The bus ride to your hotel takes you about fifteen minutes.
Right now, I'd like to take a minute to familiarize you with the area and
tell a brief safety precaution. You have to fasten safety belts and remain
seated until we reach our destination.”
 2.BOD
Y
Upon arriving at a particular tourist attraction,
 Describe the attraction and its relevance
 What to see or do there
 How long the group will stay there
 Time everybody is expected to be back at a
specific meeting point
 2.BOD
Y
“I promise you are going to enjoy your stay here in Puerto
Galera, Oriental Mindoro. This is a beautiful and quiet city
where you can relax, sit by the beach, enjoy great meals and feel
very safe. You can walk into town and enjoy the fountains or
take a moonlit walk along the water. Please do not swim here.
This is not a safe place to swim because there is a strong current.
Puerto Galera is the place to go if you want to enjoy swimming,
snorkeling, and diving. You can take a short bus ride from your
hotel. There you will also enjoy entertainment and dancing.”
 3. REACTION
• Give the tour participants a chance to ask
questions.
• Allow for question and answer during the
tour.
• Encourage tour participants to voice out
their reactions after the tour.
• Do a recap after delivering the body of the
commentary
 3. REACTION
“Do you have any questions or clarifications? (a lady raised her
hand) Yes, Ma’am? (What nearby restaurant would you
recommend?) Well, that’s a good question. There are so many
good restaurants here, but my personal favorite is the Luca’s
Cucina Italiana because it serves classic and authentic Italian
dishes, but on a reasonable and affordable price. However, if
you are craving for Filipino style cuisine, Coco Aroma, with
their famous Coco Aroma Sling and Coffee Barako is the best
place for you.”
4.REMINDERS

 Make sure that the tour participants take care of

themselves and their belongings, and respect each
other’s time and space.
 Always remind them to be on time and protect
themselves from various elements in the environment
that may harm them.
 4.REMINDERS
“If you need to exchange your dollars into pesos, please use a bank or money
exchange. We don't recommend exchanging your money at the hotel because
you won't get a fair rate. Some restaurants will accept American or Canadian
money, but you are better off to exchange your money and pay with pesos.
Or, if you prefer, you can always use your credit cards. Also, if you want to
get around the city, or travel to Puerto Galera beach, we recommend that you
take the local bus rather than a taxi. The bus costs about one American
dollar, and the driver can give you change if you don't have the exact
amount. If you do decide to take a taxi make sure that you negotiate a price
before you go.”
 5.CLOSING
 End the tour by thanking the tour
participants for joining the tour.
 Ask them to join the tour again with
their friends.
 Some companies request guests to fill
out a feedback sheet at this point , while
others provide simple tokens of gratitude
like local items or group photos.
 5.CLOSING
“We're going to be pulling up to the hotel in just a few minutes.
Please sit back and enjoy the view of the ocean on the left side of
the bus as we enter the city. I ask that you remain in your seats
until we have come to a complete stop. Javier will be meeting us
at the bus to help you with your bags. Please double check to
make sure your bag has been taken off the bus. On behalf of Nice
Tours, have a wonderful vacation in Puerto Galera and I hope to
see you tomorrow at the information session.”
 Welcoming Tourist
Hello everyone. My name is Luca. On behalf of Suntan Tours
I'd like to welcome you all to Los Cabos. The bus ride to your
hotel will take about fifteen minutes. Right now I'd like to take
a minute to familiarize you with the area and discuss some
brief safety precautions. Firstly, I ask that you remain seated
until we reach our destination and that you not eat or drink
while on the bus. Secondly, please realize that it is against the
law to get drunk in public. Enjoy your vacation, but do drink
responsibly and do not drink and drive.
 Examples of Welcoming Tourist:
 I'm Helina, your guide for this tour. I'll tell you all about the
things you will see. If you have any questions, please ask. It's
my job to answer them. All my time is free to talk to you,
sightseers.
 My name is Raquel. On behalf of Nice Tour Agency I'd like
to welcome you all to the Philippines. The bus ride to your
hotel takes you about fifteen minutes. Right now I'd like to
take a minute to familiarize you with the area and tell a
brief safety precaution. You have to fasten safety belts and
remain seated until we reach our destination.
Describing the location
I promise you are going to enjoy your stay here in San Jose,
Los Cabos. This is a beautiful, quiet city where you can
relax, sit by the beach, enjoy great meals and feel very safe.
You can walk into town and enjoy the fountains or take a
moonlit walk along the water. Please do not swim here.
This is not a safe place to swim because there is a strong
undertow. Cabos San Lucas is the place to go if you want to
enjoy swimming in the ocean. You can take a short bus ride
from your hotel. There you will also enjoy entertainment
and dancing.
 Describing The Location
In front of you is...
On your right/left you will see... 
As we turn the corner here, you will see...
In the distance...
Off to the north...
Look to the east...
You may have noticed...
In a few minutes we'll be passing...
Take a good look at...
As you will see...
 Introducing special events and offers
Suntan tours offers a variety of special discounts depending on
your travel plans. We have golf packages, as well as guided
whale boat tours, and fishing charters. There will be a short
information session at 1pm in the lobby of the hotel tomorrow
where you can learn all about these offers. We recommend that
you do not purchase packages from street vendors as they are
not always 100 percent reliable. They also may charge you
more than what they say. Please take my advice and allow
Suntan tours to book all of your day trips and activities while
you are here.
 Offering advice
If you need to exchange your dollars into pesos, please use a
bank or money exchange. We don't recommend exchanging your
money at the hotel because you won't get a fair rate. Some
restaurants will accept American or Canadian money, but you
are better off to exchange your money and pay with pesos. Or, if
you prefer, you can always use your credit cards. Also, if you
want to get around the city, or travel to Cabos San Lucas, we
recommend that you take the local bus rather than a taxi. The
bus costs about one American dollar, and the driver can give you
change if you don't have the exact amount. If you do decide to
take a taxi make sure that you negotiate a price before you go.
 ASKING AND
ANSWERING
QUESTIONS
Unlike a speech that you can memorize, you
won't always know what questions people
will ask. However, you can anticipate certain
types of questions and certain ways that
questions will be asked.
ACTIVITY
Is that the __________you were talking about?
Are we going to pass the ________________?
Are we going to see any ________________?
Is it on the right or the left?
I don't see it. Can you point it out again?
Did I miss it? Will we see it on the way back?
Where is the _________________ from here?
What time does __________ stay open until?
What else is there to do here?
Which _________________ do you
recommend?
What's that over there?
Where's the best place to buy _____________?
Do you know where the nearest _________ is?
Are we allowed to take pictures?
Do you have a question, Sir?
Yes? (if you see a hand raised)
Is there something I can help you with?
I'll try my best to answer your questions.
I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that.
Sorry I don't know.
That's an interesting question.
I wish I knew the answer.
Hmm. That's a tough (difficult) question.
I'll have to look into that further.
I'll have to ask someone about that.
Hmm. I've never been asked that before.
Pardon my English; I don't quite understand
your question.
I'm not sure, but I can find out for you.
 ACTIVITY
Fill in the blanks with words that
will be suitable to the conversation
of the tour guide and the tourists.
Guide: If you have any ________________  while we're going along,
please don't _____________  to ask .

Tourist 1: I have a question _________________ .

Guide: ________________, what's __________________  ?

Tourist 1:  __________________the best place to have dinner
____________________  here?

Guide: Well, that's a ___________________ question. There are so many

good restaurants. My personal _________________ is Black Beauty.

Tourist 1: _______________ do we __________________ there?

Guide: I'll _____________ it out when we ________________ it. It's
going to come up on your ______________ in
a _______________ minutes.

Tourist 2: My daughter wants to know ________________ we're going to

be _______________ any castles today?

Guide: Castles. No I'm ________________ all of the castles are further

into the city. We're going to be staying near the coast today. I can give you
a map of the city, though. It ______________ where all of the castles are.

Tourist 1: Sorry, I have another question.

Guide: No problem. _________________ what I'm here for.

Tourist 1: Are we __________________ to take

pictures __________________ we get inside the museum?

Guide: Oh, I'm glad you asked that. I forgot to mention that taking
photographs inside the art gallery and the museum is
_________________. However, you can take pictures of the grounds and
the outside of the buildings. The _________________ is beautiful.

Tourist 2: Oh, and what ______________ will we be stopping for lunch?

Guide: We'll break around _____________ and meet back at the bus at

12:45 ____________ .
Thank you!
~ Ma’am Jas