TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
On the celebration of the Golden Year of the Department of Tourism (DOT), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., along with Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco unveiled a tourism campaign, ‘Love the Philippines’, on the department’s 50th Foundation Year.
Addressing the event, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., expressed his support for Love the Philippines, saying the campaign “springs from the genuine love that you, me, and all of us have for the Philippines”.
“The new branding will serve as a guidepost for the Philippines tourism industry. Besides promoting the Philippines Tourism, the campaign aims to enhance the overall experience of travel, building infrastructure for ease of travel, promoting regional products, and championing green movements, among others,” the President averred. At the same time, he also appreciated Tourism Secretary Frasco and the DOT team.
“As we go the past 50 years of DOT and welcome a new era of tourism, it is but right that we take the opportunity to reintroduce the Philippines to the world,” Secretary Frasco said. “Love the Philippines goes to the heart of every Filipino and, the guests who come to our country, our communities, and our homes. It is a recognition of our natural assets, our glorious history, our rich culture, and diversity,” she said, while adding there is much more than ‘fun and adventure’ to the Philippines.
“The country is a powerhouse of mega biodiversity, being one of 18 biodiverse countries in the world. Apart from being a tapestry of indigenous peoples, the Philippines is also a gastronomic delight,” Secretary Frasco said.
Immersive experiences
Following the changing global tourism landscape post-COVID, and the immersive experiences for the travellers, the DOT viewed the enhanced brand as a timely response to the tourism industry’s demands. In a recent survey conducted by UNWTO, market repositioning and rebranding strategies have been identified as the post-COVID priorities, based on the survey findings of member countries for 2024-2025.
The campaign’s focus is to work towards the objective of the President’s vision for the country to become a “tourism powerhouse in the Asian continent”. Secretary Frasco said, “If we are to compete with our neighbours and partner with them to become a tourism powerhouse, the time has come for us to show the world how much the Philippines has to offer. We have only scratched the surface thus far.”
Tourism prospects
She said, “The Philippines has recorded 2,641,993 travellers from 1 January to 26 June 2023. The footfalls of travellers are close to breaching the 2.65 million arrivals-mark it had recorded last year. The tourism sector is regarded as a stalwart as far as contribution to GDP is concerned. As per the 2022 Philippines Tourism Satellite Accounts, the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added share of the sector to the country’s economy, as measured by the GDP, was estimated at 6.2 per cent and amounted to PHP 1.38 trillion in 2022.
