Dumaguete City’s tricycle drivers are not just mere drivers but will be trained as tour guides and ambassadors of the city for both local and foreign tourists.
As an emerging tourism destination, a tourism awareness training and workshop for tourism frontliners started Monday with 50 drivers each day until Friday or a total of 250 drivers for this month, and another 250 tricycle drivers the following month and onwards.
City Tourism Officer Woodrow Maquiling, Jr. said the training will equip the drivers with the necessary skills in tour guiding as the first to come in contact with the tourists even before reaching their hotels and other destinations.
They must be aware of the tourism concept, how to deal with certain group of foreign tourists, their characteristics and their greetings and must be acquainted with the history of Dumaguete, including the places to visit in the city, must be able to explain the significance of the landmarks and related matters.
Secondly, this is also part of the self development of the driver to boost and develop their self esteem and be able to converse with the tourists.
They are told these tourists are already aware of how much is the legal fare rate and that overpricing would create a bad impression.
Maquiling explained this is a project of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for at least five local government units in the province, namely, Bais City, Tanjay City, Dauin, Manjuyod and Dumaguete City with a five-million pesos budget for each LGU.
Meanwhile, workshops for bartenders, hotel and restaurant workers in the following months are on the drawing board because Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria wants practitioners in the tourism industry to extend improved customer service, the city tourism officer pointed out.
After the training, each driver will be issued a vest with markings “tourist certified driver” in different colors according to the tricycle organization they belong for earlier identification in case of complaints.
This project started even before the time of the late Agustin Perdices, former Dumaguete mayor and former Negros Oriental governor. (PNA)
