DOT chief hints tourism rebranding by next year

The Philippines will have its new tourism branding campaign by next year, as it targets to hit at least 12 million international arrivals in the next six years.

Newly installed Department of Tourism secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo, said that her department will introduce the new campaign in 2017, not that the existing "It’s More Fun in the Philippines" slogan is not working, but it’s just the way it works, when a new administration comes in "iba na naman."

"We will look for another positioning," said Teo.

Teo was in Cebu recently to grace the formal inauguration of the new walk-through Duty Free shop at the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

The operator of Duty Free shops in the country–Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), is an attached agency of the DOT.

According to Teo, the Philippines will work hard in achieving to hit an additional of at least one million more foreign arrivals every year, in the next six years, this despite the slashed budget for the department.

She said tourism in the Philippines will continue to flourish even with a tight budget allocation, saying "we could always work our way."

However, she did not elaborate on the concrete plans for the rebranding, what is certain she said is that the country will hold a series of tourism promotional campaigns in emerging markets like India, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the Middle East, Thailand, and also United States.

Teo also anticipated the lift of China's travel ban advisory against the Philippines, as there are already favorable gestures from the Chinese government on the matter. If lifted, this could also boost more arrivals for the Philippines.

She further dismissed impressions that the controversial extra-judicial killings could affect the international travelers' appetite to visit the Philippines, saying such incidents are happening in other countries as well.

The secretary reiterated the huge impact of the hosting of Miss Universe 2017 in the Philippines to the tourism sector, and vowed that Cebu shall have its prominent exposure in this occasion as some of the preliminary events will be held in Cebu.

Meanwhile, while the appointment of the new DOT Central Visayas regional director is still being worked out, Teo said she prefers a Cebuano to head the regional tourism office.