Dumaguete is growing right before our eyes, blossoming into one of the most recognizable tourist destinations in the Philippines.
But if Dumagueteños really wanted to promote tourism in the City (and reap the financial benefits), there is still work to be done.
Here are five things we can do to turn Dumaguete into a world-class tourist destination:
1. Tourism information booth. I’ve only lived in Dumaguete for eight months, so I’m still learning about the incredible things to do and see here. But imagine how lost you would feel if you were first stepping off of plane/bus/ferry into our fair City. Too many visitors flounder around, and waste time trying to piece together information from various Facebook pages, old TripAdvisor reports, or word-of-mouth reports.
Now imagine if a bright, shiny tourist info booth was here to guide them. Tourists could get valuable (and correct!) information, as well as help with booking hotels, excursions, or even fairs, festivals, cultural events, nightlife, and restaurants.
Even locals and expats could check in at this tourist info booth (there would be an online version — sort of like Craigslist.org), and find out what’s going on in the City.
2. Fun and fantastic photo ops. Tourists HEART taking photos! Filipinos and foreigners alike often seek out particular places just for a photo op. In fact, there are 95 million photos shared on Instagram every single day (about 87 percent of which are girls taking selfies on the beach).
So why don’t we make Dumaguete even more photogenic for travelers?
We can encourage home and business owners to paint with bright colors, promote a flower-planting campaign so our City becomes known as the country’s floral city, or add a few colorful “Welcome to Dumaguete” signs or other props for photo-takers.
We can let our imaginations run wild, but the simple fact is that more fun photo ops = more tourism.
3. Tourist police with teeth. No offense to the tourist police but rules, ordinances, and laws need to be enforced. When someone is drinking in public or kicks a dog along the Boulevard, give them a ticket (or haul them to jail). When people litter, smoke, or become a public nuisance, give them a ticket. Hold foreigners and locals to the same standard, as we shouldn’t let a few people make others feel uncomfortable or unsafe, spoiling the perception of Dumaguete as a City of and for Gentle People.
4. Tourist shuttle. From the Manjuyod Sandbar to Apo Island, Siquijor to the Twin Lakes, Casaroro Falls and Tierra Alta, we have an abundance of local treasures in and around Duma. But these points of interest can be downright difficult to get to, especially for tourists.
A tourist shuttle would solve that problem. The Filipino jeepney dedicated to driving to and from these destinations every day on a set schedule (it can even leave from the tourist booth) would be an amazing resource for tourists and locals alike. I know I’d use it!
5. Boulevard off limits to vehicles. This is our opus. Not only would it turn Dumaguete into one of the top destinations in Asia, it would be imminently more enjoyable for everyone who lives here. There’s no reason why big trucks and buses should be ripping down the otherwise placid Boulevard, spewing smoke, causing an ear-shattering racket, and ready to flatten any pedestrian who’s unfortunate enough to be in the way.
Instead, all buses and trucks will need to take the national road except for set delivery hours.
Even better, on nights and weekends, we can ban all traffic along the Boulevard, and open it for vendors to set up tents, booths, and kiosks. Restaurants can come down and offer their food, artists and craftsman can display their work, musicians can play, and the whole area will turn into a festival-like atmosphere.
Having a vibrant, fun, and family-oriented night market along the Boulevard will attract droves of tourists to Dumaguete, generating revenue to pay for everything on this list – and then some!
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Author’s email: [email protected]
