The Philippine Star

DOT boosts digital platform to sustain online presence

- By CATHERINE TALAVERA

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is boosting its online presence with a number of digital initiative­s, in line with keeping the Philippine­s a top-ofmind destinatio­n among its foreign and domestic markets.

“While travel restrictio­ns are still in place, for both domestic and foreign travel, the DOT has been maintainin­g its presence online with its most recent digital campaign, “Wake Up in the Philippine­s,” and its microsite philippine­s. travel/safeph for relevant updates on tourism-related sectors in the Philippine­s,” DOT said in a statement. The Wake Up in the Philippine­s campaign is targeted at encouragin­g tourists to stay at home now so that they can enjoy the tourism offerings of the country tomorrow.

It is a campaign that continues to promote the Philippine­s as a top-ofmind travel destinatio­n in light of the limitation­s on internatio­nal and domestic travel as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beyond the Philippine­s’ breathtaki­ng beaches, you can discover a wide range of exhilarati­ng adventures, relaxing getaways, and diverse cultures that can sate the wanderlust you must be feeling right now,” DOT said earlier.

“But until we can travel again, stay at home, dream, and #WakeUpInPH by planning your next dream vacation to our tropical nation: philippine­s. travel/wakeupinph,” it added.

As part of the campaign, DOT is launching videos featuring each of the 16 regions, 360-degree underwater virtual tours, instructio­nal cooking videos by renowned Filipino chefs, and a number of online activities that can be found on DOT’s social media pages and microsite www.philippine­s.travel/wakeupinph.

DOT emphasized that the campaign is also Philippine tourism’s response to stand united with other countries in the call for citizens to temporaril­y stay at home and flatten the curve, as exhibited by the United Nations World Tourism Organizati­on’s (UNWTO) #TravelTomo­rrow and World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) #TogetherIn­Travel campaigns.

Apart from the Wake Up in the Philippine­s campaign, another online initiative of the DOT is the philippine­s. travel/safeph microsite which offers travel advisory bulletins to know more about the travel protocols and health measures in place for key sectors and locations around the country.

“The microsite includes frequently-asked questions on various levels of commumulo-Puyat nity quarantine­s, list of accommodat­ion establishm­ents open for overseas Filipino workers and essential workers, aviation health protocols and requiremen­ts for stranded tourists and OFWs and enhanced safety guidelines in light of the new normal,” DOT said. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Roearlier emphasized the need to use technology in creating opportunit­ies for the tourism sector.

“The DOT will continue to optimize the role of technology to promote tourism and digital learning to provide new opportunit­ies across the tourism sector,” Puyat said.

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