Tourism promo budget hiked to P523 M in 2017

MANILA, Philippines - As the new administration retains the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has sought a 10 percent increase in the budget for improved promotional activities.

DOT-attached agency Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) has proposed a total P523.18 million budget for 2017, up 10 percent from P475.62 million this year.

“We have submitted the proposal to the DBM, an increase of more or less 10 percent in the budget. The process will have to go to Congress so we can already have the budget lined up next year,” TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III told The STAR on the sidelines of the Travel Madness Expo 2016 yesterday.

Newly-installed tourism chief Wanda Corazon Teo earlier said she intends to continue the It’s More Fun campaign as it has put the Philippines in a good spot.

“The Philippine tourism is now on the map because of It’s More Fun in the Philippines. We will stick with that but probably might have to come up with a better campaign slogan in the near future,” she said.

The new DOT administration has almost doubled its target of international arrivals to 12 million by end-2022. Year-end figure is seen to hit 6.5 million visitors.

Furthermore, Enerio said the campaign should have a continuity factor considering the private sector’s sentiment is for sustainability as it greatly contributed to their respective businesses.

“Every year we make innovations in order to refresh and give a little twist, to make it more adoptable and relevant to particular markets that we work with,” he added.

“No other campaign has created so much impact and awareness for the Philippines as this campaign that we have right now,” Enerio said.

Under the Tourism Act of 2009, TPB’s activities will be funded with an annual appropriation from the national government of at least P500 million, as well as a percentage of income from Duty Free Philippines Corp., shares from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and shares from fees collected by the country’s airports and seaports.

The TPB’s budget falls under allocations for government-owned and controlled corporations.

The TPB is responsible for marketing and promoting the Philippines domestically and internationally as a major global tourism destination, highlighting the uniqueness and assisting the development of its tourism products and services, with the end in view of increasing tourist arrivals and tourism investment.

It is also in charge of attracting, promoting, facilitating, and servicing large-scale events, international fairs and conventions, congresses, sports competitions, expositions and the like.