The number of foreign tourists who visited Dumaguete City en route to various destinations in Oriental Negros went down by about 10 percent, from an estimated 155,000 in 2004 to only 140,000 last year.

Imelda Flores-Aquino, Dumaguete City tourism officer, said that Americans topped the list of visitors, followed by Japanese and South Koreans.

The figures were collated from the lists of guests submitted by the different hotels, resorts, inns, and pension houses in Dumaguete.

Aquino said the reduced number of visits could be due to at least three major factors. These are the cancellation of the Dumaguete sea routes by two major shipping firms - Delta Fast Ferries and Supercat, the travel advisories issued by foreign governments to their citizens on the terrorism threat, and the lack of accommodation facilities.

Nevertheless, Aquino expects better tourism prospects for Dumageute City and Oriental Negros this year because of the aggressive tourism promotion campaigns and development programs and projects of the political units.

Tourism councils of the province and the city are promoting better services for visitors by holding education and skills training and seminars among the industry's front liners that include transport groups, the stevedoring service sectors, and therapists, among others, she said.*RG

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