Where are the tourists?

The tourism secretary sounded like she was trying very hard to keep her Cabinet seat in the face of our pitiful tourism numbers and congressional criticism.

BBM didn’t even bother to mention tourism in his SONA for a paucity of good results.

The tourism department reported that in the first five months of 2025, foreign national arrivals declined by 2.92 percent compared with the same five-month period in 2024 — bringing the total to 2.33 million.

Leechiu Property Consultants predicted last year that international arrivals will just be about six million. As it turned out, it was between 5.64 and 5.95 million, far from the DOT’s 7.7 million target.

Realizing the hopelessness of their situation, the tourism department is saying the 7.7-million arrivals goal is a “moving target.” Parang P20/kilo rice, an aspiration only.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco earlier accused some congressmen of playing politics by cutting the tourism promotions budget because her husband broke up with the majority block.

National Unity Party president and Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte, however, said it is about the poor performance of her department.

“Let’s talk about real performance. Even in her own province of Cebu, tourism arrivals have dropped. If she cannot even grow tourism in her own backyard, how can we expect her to effectively promote Philippine tourism nationwide?” Villafuerte asked.

The private sector stakeholders were also at a loss because no new targets were set, no guidance on what markets to focus on, no solid marketing plan.

I asked my friend, Manny Gonzalez, who spends almost all his time running the Plantation Bay resort in Mactan what it would take to promote our tourism industry. Given Manny’s extensive experience in the world’s best tourism capitals, I am convinced he knows how to do the job right, something that eluded so many tourism secretaries.

“Marketing” is often summarized as the Four Ps: Place (how it is sold and delivered), price, product, promotion.

Manny observed that “In 50 years, no one yet in our government has figured out that our saleable product is not volcanoes, Igorots and nose-flutes.

“Or that price drops will not drag well-spending tourists here. Since they don’t know what our product is, they can’t promote it, and all that ad money is just wasted.

“As for place, we will be a loser on this score until we get serious and jail taxi-drivers who overcharge tourists, imprison immigration officers for scamming departing visitors and give the death penalty to local officials who charge ‘environment fees’ then simply pocket it (while failing to fix traffic, garbage, raw sewage, unlicensed karaokes, etc.). Each of these felons is effectively contributing to the misery of millions of Filipinos, and should be punished appropriately.”

Manny noted that most of our tourism competitors apply simple common sense to their marketing. LESSON 1, they IDENTIFY viable target markets; and LESSON 2, they SPEAK to and MOTIVATE their target audience. What do we do?

“In the It’s More Fun In the Philippines campaign, we produced commercials Filipinos found amusing and uplifting. But our commercials are supposed to attract FOREIGNERS.

“Unlike the commercials of most of our competitors, which are focused on the CUSTOMERS, our ad opens: ‘We’re a country named after a Spanish King, to which an American general vowed to return.’ WHO THE HELL CARES?

“At 1:08, the video declares that ‘We speak over 176 languages.’ WHO THE HELL CARES?

“Eventually (at 2:16) the ad says ‘everyone knows how to smile.’ But since every country in the world claims its people smile, this is a useless and unpersuasive statement.

“The people behind this ad never spent much time abroad and consequently have no understanding of subconscious or conscious reasons people travel.

“Bottom line: It’s More Fun has been a dud, because it is a promotion campaign without an IDENTIFIED target market, and therefore without any MESSAGE. We have been spitting in the wind. The tourist arrival statistics since 2012 (comparing us with other countries) prove it. It had 2.4 million views in 12 years.

“By 2022, 10 years after the previous ad, our advertising had intensified in STUPIDITY.

“Actors/dancers in full-body painted costumes recreate rice terraces, chocolate hills, etc.

“In one sequence, the dancers are costumed like MUMMIES and SKELETONS, thus sending the UNINTENDED message, ‘When you think of the Philippines, think of Death and Decay.’ Very few foreigners will guess what is being depicted, or what reason the ad gives for them to come.

“This 2022 ad, like the 2013 ad, has NO apparent target market in mind, and accordingly has NO MESSAGE to deliver. Whom does the DOT think it is talking to with this ad? This ad talks to NO ONE. It had a pathetic 28,000 views in three years.

“In 2024, the video is still trying to sell volcanoes, chocolate hills, rainforests, inaccessible locations and other stuff that our competitor countries have more of than us. Scenery is a losing battlefield for us; ruins are a losing battlefield for us. On food we have a chance, but not the way this video showed it. Generated 430,000 views in one year.”

Manny tried his hand in crafting a campaign which, despite Plantation Bay’s modest financial means, as of July 31, has had 340,000 views in English, plus 800,000 more views in the foreign-language translations in less than a year.

The campaign, Flavor Me Philippines is alliterative, catchy. It identifies specific plausible demographics for us. It depicts emotional (not intellectual or rational) rewards for different tourists: Mother-daughter mirroring; barkada bonding; sex and romance; freedom to be LGBTQ; cheerfulness in adversity; freedom from crowds; flirtatious fun and bittersweet sadness (that implies a transforming experience).

“Underlying the entire 3:30 is the sense that if you come to the Philippines you will experience some unfamiliar emotions. Sun, water, beaches — all just supporting cast for awakening Feeling, i.e., the Flavors of Your Life.”

Manny makes good points. He is investing time and money to prove his ideas right.

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on X @boochanco