How to Improve Dumaguete as a Tourist Destination?

Here is my take on the matter:

1) Dumaguete need a more vibrant night life. And this is at least partly a political issue, since apparently the current mayor has a very negative view on night life. But turists wants to have fun and be entertained also in the nighttime, and Dumaguete just does not offer this any more. Last time I went out on a thursday night, a young cupple from Europe or the USA came into Why Not Disco. When they saw the place almost empty, they immideatly turned around and left again. And since there was nowhere else for them to go either, I am pretty sure, they just went back to their hotel.

2) Introduce metered taxis and reduce the number of tricycles. Not all turists find it interesting to be taken around in a slow and uncomfortable trike. And very few turists enjoy the constant haggling with tryke drivers about the price of the trip. Metered taxis get rid of this problem completely, because the rate is - well - metered.

3) As a short term solution at least create a system in both the port and airport, where rates for taxi and tryke rides are fixed and thereby transparant. Like the fixed rate taxi stand in the airport in Manila, where you can hire a van to various parts of town at fixed rates. Like others have said, the first impression is important. And being taken advantage of by a taxi or trike driver trying to rip you off for a short trip from the port/airport to your hotel is a very poor first impression of a place.

4) Keep the coastline clean. Turists hate to see garbage and debris flowing in the water along a coast.

5) Develop some of the turist attractions a bit more. Twin Lakes for example is being heralded as a major natural attraction on Negros. But when I last visited in july 2013, there were nobody at either the entrance gate (so entrance was free) or the restaurant. And while many sections of the road leading to Twin Lakes has now been concreted, the remaining unconcreted sections were in very poor shape, making access to the place difficult.

6) Stop ripping off those turists, who come to Negros to dive. Its ok maybe to charge diving fees at a destination such as Apo Island, if the money collected actually go to protection of the invironment or compensation to local fishermen, who are not allowed to fish. But its not ok to also collect diving fees for very unspectacular dives along the coast of Negros, claiming that the visitor is in a "marine sanctuary". But this socalled "sanctuary" is full of fish Cages, so in reality its just a turist tax being collected. Divers who have this experience will for sure go somewhere else on their next trip, and they will not recommend Dumaguete to their friends either.

Now some of my suggestions involve municipalities other than Dumaguete. But its pointless also to talk about turism with municipal borders in mind. Most turists come to visit Negros Oriental region and not just the city Dumaguete itself. Turists staying at resorts in Dauin also arrive in the airport or port, and they make trips in the day- and nighttime to Dumaguete City to visit the restaurants, shopping malls and bars. And turists staying anywhere in the region make excursions to natural attractions like Twin Lakes.

 

Without a MASTER PLAN for Dumaguete's development nothing will ever happened. It looks like the current plan is like jumping all over a CHESS tray with out winning. Maybe in next 100 years or so some smart people will make city development a reality.

Some dreams below......


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WITHOUT GOOD MAINTAINANCE NOTHING WILL EVER LAST!

 

I'm living here almost a year and sorry to say but lots of things should be changed. 1. beaches should be improved 2. id' like to find here more really good souveniars (like pearly and coral jewerly, national clothes) 2. improve your food shops variety