DOT boosts digital platform to sustain online presence

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is boosting its online presence with a number of digital initiatives, in line with keeping the Philippines a top-of-mind destination among its foreign and domestic markets.

“While travel restrictions are still in place, for both domestic and foreign travel, the DOT has been maintaining its presence online with its most recent digital campaign, “Wake Up in the Philippines,” and its microsite philippines.travel/safeph for relevant updates on tourism-related sectors in the Philippines,” DOT said in a statement.
The Wake Up in the Philippines campaign is targeted at encouraging tourists to stay at home now so that they can enjoy the tourism offerings of the country tomorrow.

It is a campaign that continues to promote the Philippines as a top-of-mind travel destination in light of the limitations on international and domestic travel as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beyond the Philippines’ breathtaking beaches, you can discover a wide range of exhilarating adventures, relaxing getaways, and diverse cultures that can sate the wanderlust you must be feeling right now,” DOT said earlier.

“But until we can travel again, stay at home, dream, and #WakeUpInPH by planning your next dream vacation to our tropical nation: philippines.travel/wakeupinph,” it added.

As part of the campaign, DOT is launching videos featuring each of the 16 regions, 360-degree underwater virtual tours, instructional cooking videos by renowned Filipino chefs, and a number of online activities that can be found on DOT’s social media pages and microsite www.philippines.travel/wakeupinph.

DOT emphasized that the campaign is also Philippine tourism’s response to stand united with other countries in the call for citizens to temporarily stay at home and flatten the curve, as exhibited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) #TravelTomorrow and World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) #TogetherInTravel campaigns.

Apart from the Wake Up in the Philippines campaign, another online initiative of the DOT is the philippines.travel/safeph microsite which offers travel advisory bulletins to know more about the travel protocols and health measures in place for key sectors and locations around the country.

“The microsite includes frequently-asked questions on various levels of community quarantines, list of accommodation establishments open for overseas Filipino workers and essential workers, aviation health protocols and requirements for stranded tourists and OFWs and enhanced safety guidelines in light of the new normal,” DOT said.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier emphasized the need to use technology in creating opportunities for the tourism sector.

“The DOT will continue to optimize the role of technology to promote tourism and digital learning to provide new opportunities across the tourism sector,” Puyat said.

As part of its push for doing digital, DOT, through its Office of Industry Manpower Development, has conducted 18 webinars since April as part of its Online Learning Series (OLS). The said webinars reached 268,000 individuals with a total of 5,420 registered participants.
Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. earlier said the DOT is set to hold 68 more webinars this year as it aims to boost the knowledge and skills of tourism stakeholders.

“The department recognizes the importance for its stakeholders to come out of this pandemic equipped with new knowledge and skills to face the evolving industry,” Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said.

“We are rolling out 68 more webinars until the end of the year to support the reskilling and upskilling of our stakeholders,” he added.