BERLIN, 18 March 2019: The Philippines introduced a new tourism campaign at the ITB Berlin, last week, that appeared to be nothing more than a tweak of a very tired message dating back to 2012.
Known for ditching campaigns with every twist and turn of politics and sometimes in response to accusations of corruption, this time around the DOT stayed confidently true to an old tested theme, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”
During its launch year, the campaign faced considerable criticism, but it did manage to make a comeback after “Wow Philippines” floundered. Now its latest reincarnation is billed as a catalyst that could drive tourist arrival to reach 12 million by 2022. The Philippines targets 8.2 million foreign tourists this year, up 15.5%.
But it remains a momentous challenge for the DOT to raise its game plan. While tourist arrivals in 2018 reached 7.1 million up 7.65% compared with 2017 (6.62 million), the performance was well below Vietnam, a relative newcomer to the tourism business. It clocked 15.5 million visits in 2018 and Cambodia reported 6.2 million visits in 2018 closing the gap with the Philippines.
Seven years after the ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ launched critics might well ask “how on earth is the campaign valid today?”
The rejuvenated campaign will focus on digital media cashing in on photos and videos freely available in the public domain, or social media channels and for good measure possibly ditching paper promotions to save the forests.
Valued at PHP500 million (USD9.49 million) the campaign will run to 2022 presenting the Philippines “as a preferred tourist destination” in the hope of reaching the DOT’s target of 12 million by 2022
However, the Duterte administration added a policy caveat that the campaign should be environmentally friendly and promote sustainable practices at every level.
Top priorities
The campaign will major on Seoul and Busan in South Korea; the United States and Canada (including overseas Filipinos in North America); Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka in Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in China.
Secondary targets
Australia, Asia including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and India as well ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam). Major European countries, such as the UK, Germany, France and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh in the Middle East.
Third-level markets
They include Russia and the former Commonwealth of Independent States, Spain, Scandinavian countries and Israel; as well as Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Tourism products identified in the National Tourism Development Plan [2017-2022] include: Nature-based Tourism (Nature Recreation and Adventure); Cultural Tourism; Health, Wellness and Retirement; Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, Exhibitions and Events, or MICE; Sun and Beach; Cruise and Nautical Tourism; Education; Leisure and Entertainment; Diving and Marine Sports; Farm and Culinary Tourism.
(Source: Rappler, plus additional reporting.)
