Tourism rebranding includes people, culture

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Tourism will continue to promote the Philippines as a fun destination, but this time with more emphasis on its rich and diverse Filipino culture in its re-branding.

Such diversity can offer tourists a substantial, immersive, and purposeful experience, perfectly matched with the love and warm hospitality of the Filipino people, DOT said.

“We are enhancing the tourism slogan and we'll definitely take into consideration the opinion of our various stakeholders,” said DOT Secretary Christina Frasco during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

Frasco said that people’s reasons for travel have changed in the post-pandemic time.

“May I just highlight that global trends, supported by data from various reliable and reputable tourism-related publications, have indicated that post-pandemic, people's reasons for travel have also changed, chief of which is that people now wish to have some sense of substantive, immersive, and cultural authentic experiences where they have opportunities to get to know the culture of the place that they're visiting. People also value the opportunity to get to know communities,” Frasco added.

This latest development is paving the way for DOT to also highlight the country’s culture and people.

“These trends correspond very well to the assets of Philippines tourism that have yet to be fully maximized–our culture, our people, our communities. And that is why the enhanced tourism slogan will give our country an opportunity to market itself not just as a fun destination, which it will continue to be, but also a destination for everything else that includes highlighting our culture and our people,” said Frasco.

Frasco, however, stressed that aside from the branding campaign, Philippine tourism depends on product development.

“May I also qualify that the promotion of the Philippine's tourism does not hinge on a branding campaign alone. More importantly, it highly depends on product development, improving aspects of the Philippine tourism industry that situates our country lower than our ASEAN neighbors,” Frasco stressed.

Frasco mentioned the importance of infrastructure, connectivity, and digitalization which have been identified by President Bongbong Marcos himself as a priority of the current administration.

There are also existing flagship tourism enterprise zones (TEZ) that are ready for investment which include San Vicente, Palawan; Panglao Island in Bohol, Corregidor Island in Cavite; Mt. Samat in Bataan; Clark, Pampanga; the vicinity of Rizal Park where the Manila Ocean Park is presently located; and 15 other registered TEZs.

“So, what our fellow Filipinos can expect is that the Marcos administration is investing in tourism, not just in our well-known destinations, but also in our lesser known destinations,” Frasco said.

Meanwhile, Frasco also disclosed that the DOT and its attached agencies have ushered in no less than P3.33 billion in estimated sales leads generated out of the various international expos they have participated by far. — GMR (FREEMAN)