Roughly over a year ago, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched a new tourism campaign for the new administration. Dubbed “Pilipinas ‘Kay Ganda”, the campaign received negative reactions; many perceived that the campaign lacked creativity. Consequently the government pulled back the campaign.
Last January, the department launched a new tourism campaign to make up for its initial failure. The new slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, drew a strong reaction from various stakeholders within the country. Developed in cooperation with Advertising Agency BBDO Guerrero Proximity Philippines , the slogan sparked intense discussions, in particular, online. Many Filipinos reposted and even created spin-offs of the new campaign.
“If you check the reactions online, everybody is getting on board, everyone is having fun with the slogan,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte in an article from balita.ph.
“Ang dami nang lumalabas so it seems the people are on board and are staunchly behind the DOT if we look at the reactions online” she explained in the same article.
The new slogan also became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter shortly after it was launched.
“What the social media has allowed us to do in such a short time is allow the most number of people to help build the brand by participating in the effort to define it more sharply,” says DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.
The campaign attempts to attract 4.2 million tourists this year, more than the 3.2 million figure last year. Jimenez explains that the agency centers the campaign around the Filipinos themselves, more than the actual tourist destinations.
“Our strategy is simple: while other countries invite you to observe, Filipinos can promise a more heartfelt and interesting experience. Wherever you go, whatever you do in the country, it is the Filipinos that will complete your vacation and will make your holiday unforgettable” he explains in an article from Yahoo! News.
Even with the campaign’s initial success, its authenticity was questioned. Critics allege that the slogan was lifted from a 1951 tourism campaign by Switzerland.
Jimenez defends that the alleged lack of authenticity should not be seen as an obstacle to its success. “No one can own the expression ‘it’s more fun’ but it’s very true for the Philippines so it becomes ours,” he said on a post in Twitter. “There will always be those who will try to punch holes in our balloon,” he furthers.
BBDO Guerrero Director of Marketing Ombet Traspe shares similar sentiments. “Our line is rooted on something that is true of the Filipino people. So that may just be a coincidence,” he explains. “But you can’t deny the fact that the Filipino people complete the fun experience a traveler has in our country.”
Creative and catchy tourism slogans or campaigns have proven benefitial for neighboring Asian countries. Malaysia’s “Truly Asia” campaign, for example, helped increase the number of visitors from 8 million annually during its initial launch in 1999 to 22.05 million in 2008.
More Than Words
More than just a succesful and well received slogan, however, other factors must be considered to strengthen the country’s tourism sector.
Infrastructure and economic growth play key roles in attracting more visitors and ensuring the sustainability of the tourist spots in the country.
Financial Analyst and current BDO Senior Vice President-Wealthy and Advisory Trust Group Jose Manuel Mendoza believes that the country’s supposed poor infrastructure might hinder the overall success of any tourism campaign. “Cooperation and collaboration between the public and private sectors are required to address the country’s poor infrastructure facilities [and other similar problems]. The availability of fiscal incentives and funding support (loans) could also be a factor in attracting investors [for infrastructure development]” he furthers.
In line with this, the DOT recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to boost the country’s tourism infrastructure. Dubbed, “Convergence Program for Enhancing Tourism Access” it targets priority tourist destinations around the country. One of the projects that will be implemented is a Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP), which aims to improve the roads leading to these tourist spots.
In spite of these developments, Mendoza believes that there is still much to do in terms of strenghtening the country’s tourism sector. “In a way, the arduous process of building up tourism in the country is certainly ‘not fun’, amid these challenges,” he laments.
