Website to attract tourists launched

CEBU, Philippines - Public and private sectors from different parts of the country can now promote their events for next year through an online portal that is aimed at attracting more tourists to the Philippines.

The visitph2015.com project was initiated by the country's Tourism Promotions Board purposely to promote activities from different parts of the country. The website will also serve as a guide for travelers, especially foreign tourists.

Domingo Ramon Enerio III, Chief Operations Officer of TPB, said anyone can register any event with national and international significance. The event organizer can register the event at the site.

"It should be of national or international significance. Meaning, they would have the capacity to attract international tourists even on the national scale… attract as many domestic travelers to come to the event," he said.

Enerio said they aim to accommodate as many events as possible.

"In terms of promoting it, we have to be very specific about it. For instance, some towns or villages would organize foundation days…sometimes (that) the event is very localized and we will still put it in the calendar (of activities in the website) although it will be a calendar for the local activities," Enerio said.

After the organization or sector registers, TPB will evaluate the event carefully to ensure, among other things, that the event will have the necessary details like fees and schedule.

"In all of our advertising campaigns, we have a strategic advertising campaign that relies strongly in the digital, the like of Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and all other social media platform where we can actually promote the website and the events taking place in the Philippines," Enerio said.

The project also aims to boost the tourist campaign "It's More Fun in the Philippines" launched a few years ago.

He said there are many events slated for 2015 that are worthy of promotion, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and cultural festivals.

"We felt that we should begin to develop new ideas, new suggestions, propositions for the international community to understand and to realize to appreciate it's not just the Filipinos it's is the activities that Filipinos organize that make it fun," he said.

Recently, the "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign was named by the World Advertising Research Center as third among 100 best marketing campaigns in the world.

"We have to continue what is beautiful and what is good about this country and we have to do this together," he said. — (FREEMAN)