Tourist arrivals in Dumaguete City dropped by 6 percent in 2005 compared to the previous year, data from the City Tourism Office showed.

In 2004, tourist influx totaled 155,703, while in 2005, only 147,065 tourist arrivals were recorded.

The drop in local tourist activities is in stark contrast to the international tourist arrivals in the country which went up by 18.6 percent year-on-year in November 2005 as the country hosted the Southeast Asian Games, data from the Research and Statistics division of the Department of Tourism showed.

Of the total 147,065 tourist arrivals in the city last year, 14,916 were transients while 130,099 were long-staying tourists.

Americans topped the list of transients who visited the city, followed by the Japanese and South Korean tourists.

Of the long-staying tourists, 121,564 were domestic tourists while 8,535 were foreign tourists.

Maritone Mascardo of the city tourism office visitor's bureau said the 6 percent drop may be attributed to several factors, among them the worldwide travel advisories issued in early 2005 pertaining to the peace and order in the country then.

She noted that the exit of some sea vessels plying routes to Dumaguete resulted in a limited accessibility options. "We used to have Supercat and Delta, but now there is only one fast-ferry operating here," she said.

Aside from this, other factors, Mascardo pointed out, are the deficiency in airport and seaport services, lack of investment initiatives from government and private sectors and lack of appreciation of tourism as an industry.

Travel agencies are all promoting outbound travels, but rarely do they promote inbound travels so that more tourist groups will come to Dumaguete, she said.

The non-inclusion of Dumaguete in the nationwide "Byahe Na" campaign of the Department of Tourism has also affected its tourism industry, she added.*RG

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