DOT targets more French tourists

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is setting its sights on the emerging market of France and plans to double tourists arrivals from the country to the Philippines by 2020.

DOT Secretary Wanda Teo said the agency wants to tap into the growing market of French tourists in the country and entice more of them to visit in the next four years.

“The French travel market is prominently figuring on our radar as more and more tourists from that side of the world consider the Philippines as their choice of destination. And it is our goal to double these numbers in the next four years,” Teo said.

In 2015, a total of 45,505 tourists from France were reported to have visited the Philippines. They also contributed $ 34 million in tourist receipts during the period.

Now, France has been identified as one of the top 20 emerging markets of Philippine tourism, registering a growth of 21.96 percent in the first seven months of 2016 to 35,378 arrivals from 29,007 in the same period last year.

To double the number of French visitors by 2020, Teo said the DOT would intensify its marketing strategy and further utilize social media to promote destinations in the Philippines.

“We should capitalize on the power of social media to reach millions of users all over the world who are potential travelers. The 21st century travelers are highly reliant on their smart phones for information. But ultimately, their perennial objective is to stay connected. And this gift of social media that almost everyone has warmly embraced can be a game changer for tourism,” Teo said.

She said the agency would also engage in partnerships with “key travel influencers” and sponsor familiarization trips for them.

The Tourism chief recently visited France and met with French Tourism Minister Matthias Fekl. In the meeting Teo emphasized the strong relationship between the two countries.

“The strong diplomatic relations between the Philippines and France should encourage more eloquent tourism related activities and exchanges between our people, and consequently bring our two distant nations much closer together,” she said.

During her stay, Teo also discussed with Philippine Ambassador to France Ma. Theresa Lazaro the plans of the DOT to pursue a tourism cooperation with the French Embassy in Manila.

She also graced this year’s International French Travel Market Top Resa show in Paris, France last Sept. 20 to 23. The event featured the Philippines’ destinations to leisure and business travelers.

Teo met with representatives from the Philippine private sector, as well as French tour operators selling Philippine destinations during her visit.