OFICINA DE TURISMO - TOURISM OFFICE

Nuestra Oficina de Turismo de Toronto era la única para todo Canada. Nos escribían pidiendo información desde todos los rincones de ese inmenso país. Sobre todo muchos colegios, pidiendo posters (carteles). Cuando recibía cartas desde el Yukon, recuerdo que les mandaba todos los carteles con sol que teníamos para que les alegrara las aulas. Me acuerdo de una estudiante española que estaba en un colegio de British Columbia que nos pedía información y carteles para una fiesta multicultural que iban a celebrar en su colegio. Le mandé tantas cosas, tropecientos carteles, banderitas, folletos, de todo. Un buen dia recibo una llamada desde Estados Unidos pidiendo información. Amablemente, le dije a mi interlocutor que no mandabamos información a Estados Unidos ya que teníamos cinco oficinas de turismo en ese país y la nuestra era solo para Canada. Me rogó que le enviara la información porque nosotros informábamos mejor... En fin, mi experiencia en la oficina fue muy gratificante. Luego tambien recibíamos quejas. Canadienses que habían visitado España y habían sido victimas de algun timo. Sevilla, con lo bella que es, se llevaba la palma. Que si el timo de la mostaza (alguien les manchaba y cuando les iban a limpiar les limpiaban todo lo que llevaban....). Tirones, en fin, un montón de quejas. Me dije: "Ah, si, qué culpa tenemos los de la Oficina de Turismo!" Entonces, decidí que cuando vinieran a pedir información, al mismo tiempo les avisaría sobre los diferentes tipos de timos a los cuales estaban expuestos. Disminuyeron las quejas.

Our Spanish National Tourist Office in Toronto was the only one in Canada. We received letters asking for information from all over the country. Specially many schools asking for posters. When we received letters from schools in the Yukon, I sent them all the sunny posters that we had in order to brighten their classrooms. I remember a young Spanish girl, studying in British Columbia, who wrote to us asking for posters because they were going to have a multicultural school party. I sent her so many things! Each of all the posters we had, flags, pamphlets, everything. Once we also received a call from someone in the States asking for info. I, kindly, told him that we didn't send information to the States because we had five Tourist Offices there and ours was only for Canada. He begged me to send him the info because we advised better.... Anyway, my work experience, I must say, was very gratifying. But we also received complaints. Canadians who had been gipped. Seville, such a beautiful city, was the champion. We received letters from Canadians who had had all their belongings stolen by different gipping methods like the mustard scam. Someone went up to them, spilled some mustard on their clothes and, when others went to clean it, they cleaned everything they had! Purse-pulling, etc. All the complaints arrived at our office. So, I asked myself: "What does that have to do with our Spanish National Tourist Office?!" From then on, I decided that when people came for information, I would also warn them of all the possible scams they were exposed to. End of the complaints.