By 2017, DOT wants a new slogan

CHANGE is coming even in the country’s tourism campaign.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Friday told reporters the agency is considering changing the country’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism campaign and take a fresher approach to lure more foreign tourists.

“We will be keeping the ‘It’s More Fun’ campaign for the year. Next year, we will have to look for a new slogan,” said Teo, adding that changing the tourism slogan is nothing new when there’s a new administration leading the country.

“Every administration it is always like that. We will have to look for another (slogan),” said Teo.

The tourism secretary was in Cebu last Friday for the opening of the newly-improved walk-though Duty Free outlet in the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Duty Free Philippines Corp., is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism.

“The campaign is working but if we could get another slogan that will entice more tourists to come, it would be better. Kasi ganun naman yan if used to na sila, so you have to look for another slogan again that will entice them to come. Another branding, another positioning,” Teo explained.

“It’s More Fun in the Philippines” was the country’s slogan during the six-year term of former-President Benigno Aquino III, during the leadership of former tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.

The campaign bagged several awards overseas such as Reader’s Choice for the “fun” category in the Yomiuru Advertising Award in 2013 in Tokyo, Japan; was named the third among the world’s best marketing campaigns in 2014, according to Warc 100, a global annual ranking of marketing campaigns based on performance, effectiveness and strategy; and recently, the bronze advertising award in the “Best of the Decade” category of the 2016 Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards.

“Maybe the new administration has fresh ideas they want to try out and launch. Whatever it will be, we hope it will be impactful and reflective of the beauty of the brand,” said Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Melanie Ng.

“I am excited to see what DOT’s plans are. The ‘More Fun’ campaign has already served its purpose and its effect continues to linger and was one of the most effective campaigns we have had,” said tourism advocate and Islands Group CEO Jonathan Jay Aldeguer. “They can evolve from it or change completely.”

Cebu’s role

Under Teo’s watch, the DOT targets to attract one million foreign tourists every year between now and 2022. This year, the DOT hopes to welcome six million foreign tourists.

Activities like the country’s hosting of the Miss Universe 2017 and the Asean@50 are expected to bring in more foreign guests and increase tourism receipts, said Teo.

Cebu, in particular, will play a huge role in hosting these two events. Teo said Cebu will host the swimsuit competition, which is one of the ancillary events for Miss Universe. It will also host one of the meetings during the Asean@50.

Moreover, the tourism secretary plans to conduct more familiarization tours for the country and develop new markets like India, Middle East and Asia to boost foreign arrivals.

The DOT said the Philippines has embarked on an “exchange tourism” agreement with Thailand during Teo’s recent trip to Bangkok. Thailand offered collaboration between the two countries in farm tourism, youth development, and women and indigenous community projects.

Members of the Thai Travel Agents Association have also announced their visit to the Philippines in September for the Philippine Travel Exposition (PHI- TEX), when they will tour the cities of Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

Teo also added that during her recent US trip, she encouraged Filipino-Americans, particularly those who haven’t been to the Philippines, to re-discover and explore the country.

Despite these big plans, the executiveproposed budget for the DOT in 2007 is 26 percent lower than this year’s, at P2.23 billion. Of this amount, some P300 million will be allocated for a branding campaign program, less than the P1.15 billion allocated for this year.

This year’s DOT budget is almost P3 billion.