TH1808

THE TOUR COMMENTARY

Tour Commentary is a truthful and accurate explanation uttered during a tour most especially when describing
a place and sharing history and events.
WRITING THE TOUR COMMENTARY
Selection of Commentary Materials
• Primary data – These are firsthand experiences that are ideal primary source of information. It is best
to share something that has been personally experienced.
• Secondary information – This is normally taken from reading books, the Internet, magazines, and
other reference materials. At times, this information comes from those who experienced the event
firsthand.
• Technical data – This includes expert knowledge taken from further education and training. Licensed
and DOT-accredited tour guides who constantly attend training and seminars have more substantial
things to include in their commentaries.
• Current events – These are great sources of information where commentaries can be based on. These
can be taken from newspapers, the Internet and electronic media sources, and news reports.
• Trivia – These are interesting tidbits of almost anything. These may interest and amuse tourists when
included in the commentaries.

Types of Commentaries
• Required commentary includes welcome remarks and introduction of self and the driver and giving
some reminders, a brief description of the tour, the weather, and other important suggestions in
preparation for the tour. An example is presented below.
“Good morning, everyone. My name is Remy, and this is our bus driver, Kuya Boy. On behalf of Good
Journey Travel and Tours, I would like to welcome you to Basco, Batanes. The bus ride to your hotel
will take about 20 minutes. I promise you a charming panoramic view of Batanes even in a short
span of time. Before we leave, may I ask if your entire luggage are already inside the bus? All right.
Please remain seated until we reach our hotel, Basco Hotel. Tomorrow, at 9:00 AM, we shall start
our tour of the whole Batan Island. Please make sure you have your breakfast before that time, and
we shall meet at the lobby. We have several destinations to visit. The weather is about 32 degrees
Celcius, but it can get windy. I suggest you wear comfortable clothes and a light jacket just in case
it gets cloudy in the afternoon.”
• Informative commentary includes describing the city, the designated stops, other points of interests,
and even giving advice to tourists as they go along the tour. See sample below.
“Batanes is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines. It is located in the Northern part of
Luzon. Well, you see, we are proud of spectacular sights here. This is a good place for photography,
too. Has anyone seen the movie of Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit? It
was actually filmed here. We are now at our first destination, Mt. Carmel Chapel. What do you
notice? Yes, the chapel is modeled after a traditional Ivatan house. It is beautifully made of stone.
By the way, the locals of Batanes are called Ivatans. They are very pleasant and helpful people. In
fact, this chapel is the work of a community.”
• Requested commentary must be given when tourists ask some questions. Remember to be direct to
the point when answering questions. The following is an example of this.

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“That is a very interesting question. Although Batanes is an amazing destination, many tourists are
not able to visit us because, in the past, there was only one airline, which is SkyJet, that flew to
Basco. With only one flight, airfare was so expensive. It is a good thing that Philippine Airlines now
brings passengers to our place so they can see the beauty of Batanes. Tourists are now coming to
visit us, and air tickets are slightly lower.”
• Optional commentary is part of the fun when giving commentaries. These include anecdotes, stories,
legends, simple trivia, and games. They are supposed to make the tour fun and amusing. Most of these
remarks are spontaneous and impromptu. See statements below for the sample.
“Oh yes, our policemen here are doing a great job! Imagine, zero crime rate. It is very safe in our
place.”

Components of Commentaries
Introduction
 Introductions during the start of a tour, especially done in a coach, are usually accompanied with
greetings.
 A greeting is a form of salutation done in a very pleasing tone and sometimes accompanied with
gestures.
 Introductions during the tour, like in a walking tour for example, getting the attention of a big group
is quite different as tour guides may have to increase the volume of their voice and verbally call their
attention. Some tour guides use other communication tools like a bell or a whistle to get their
attention. If the tour guide sees that the majority have focused their attention to them, then they may
already start with the commentaries.
Body
 Commentaries need to be pleasant yet concisely descriptive. Remember that they are already seeing
the view of the place or witnessing the actual work of art.
 Emphasizing on the vital points such as history, geography, culture, and the rest of its fine points are
important.
 A descriptive narration about the place usually answers the questions what, when, why, and how. All
of these are essential to tackle in the body of the commentary.
Summary
 Summaries are always short, and important facts are reiterated but no longer described lengthily. This
part is normally brief. It involves emphasizing the important matters.
 There is no need to explain what has been previously explained. Good sense and sound judgment will
dictate if there is a need to highlight some issues.
Reminders
 Tour guides show genuine concern towards their guest by giving them reminders and warnings. Some
reminders can be given at any time they are needed.
 For instance, if the tourists are going to a crowded place, it is best to remind them to be watchful of
their belongings.
 Reminders involve mentioning the next scheduled activities and important things to remember for the
succeeding events.
Closing Remarks
 Any professional knows how to say thank you even if the visitors have said insulting remarks.

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 The tour guide must show their gratitude to the tourists for allowing them to share what their
destination has to offer. Goodbyes must be pleasant, too.

PRESENTING THE TOUR COMMENTARY

Pointers in Delivering Commentaries
• Aim for an organized train of thought
 Create a powerful opening – Generally, participants always wish for an efficient and inspiring
tour guide. They want to have an enjoyable experience while learning, so they set high
expectations.
 Create a powerful ending – For a commentary to be fulfilling, the ending message should leave
an impact on the tourists’ whole being and learning.
• Tell a story, leave a memory – Although the fundamental purpose of a tour commentary is to inform
and educate, it should also be convincing, ceremonial, and unpredictable. All of these are important
elements in telling a story.
 Ceremonial speech refers to that given during special occasion, which includes wedding and
graduation speeches, toasts, eulogies, formal events, and many others.
 Persuasive speech is meant to convince or call for action. It is done during sales presentations,
political campaigns, religious talks, and other membership talks.
 Informative speech refers to a discourse which is meant to give facts and data. This happens
during conferences, seminars, product updates, business meetings, and of course, tours.
 Impromptu speech is an on-the-spot type of speech. There is hardly any time for preparation,
and quick thinking is needed.
• Communicate your thoughts well – While it is ideal to deliver commentaries fluently, not all tourists
can understand English very well. Not all tour guides can speak English confidently, too. Fluency and
accuracy in a second language are good; however, if tour guides commit considerable mistakes in the
language but can send their message across, which are understood, then communication has
transpired.
• Ask questions – In public speaking, inserting questions during the presentation will keep the audience
on their toes. The same goes in tour guiding. Tourists do not want to be humiliated when they are
called with no answer. When questions are being asked, they already begin to think; this is one way
of engaging them to participate.
• Spice it up with humor – Fun and laughter are always essential in an experience, most especially in
tours. In tour guiding, there are two (2) purposes of incorporating humor in commentaries. These are
the following:
 To entertain and preoccupy the guests – Commentaries should be engaging and exciting.
Telling jokes is one way of doing this. Jokes are meant to amuse and make people laugh by
using irony, sarcasm, anecdotes, punch lines, exaggerations, and the like. However, it is also
important to know the right timing in delivering jokes.
 To inform or relay a message through humor – Humor makes guests more interested in
listening. They always look forward to the next punch line, and while waiting, they can grasp
facts and information along the way.
Reference:
Baltazar, J. P., & Verzosa, R. F. (2016). Local guiding services. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

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