With the country’s new tourism tagline “Love the Philippines,” the government aims to hit 12 million annual tourist arrivals during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Under the national tourism development plan the projections indicated by our statisticians is that we would be able to reach a baseline target of 12 million by that time,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a television interview on Wednesday.
“We’re working very hard to make sure that these are moving targets and so we would be able to build up our tourism portfolio in terms of international arrivals but also continue to support domestic tourism,” she added.
This year, the DoT is reaching 4.8 million tourist arrivals. President Marcos’ term ends in 2028.
Frasco said the decision to change the tourism slogan aimed to show the world that the Philippines is “more than just a fun destination.”
“Love the Philippines” replaced the decade-old “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”
“It is a recognition of how blessed we are with our natural assets, our beautiful tourist spots, our beaches, our nature-based destinations, our culture, history and heritage, and most importantly the warmth, love, and hospitality of our kababayans,” Frasco said of the new slogan.
Frasco claimed “love” is a word that tourists commonly associate with the Philippines.
“Of all the countries where people mention love, it’s the Philippines that ranks number one,” she said without citing the study or research where she based her statement.
“‘Love the Philippines’ gives the opportunity for our fellow Filipinos to present their best to the world because of our inherent capacity to be hospitable, our being gracious. It is really part of our social fabric as Filipinos to love and welcome everyone with the type of love and warmth that only Filipinos can offer,” she said.
The Tourism chief also underscored the importance of improving the country’s airports to match the “love” with better travel experiences for tourists.
She said the DoT is coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to give recommendations on how to improve the airports’ operations.
“Our gateways are important to really provide a positive tourist and traveler experience overall,” she said.
At the Upper Chamber, Senator Francis Escudero yesterday urged critics to give the new logo a chance even as Sen. Nancy Binay warned it would entail a huge amount of US dollars to start and sustain a new campaign.
“We don’t have sufficient funds to finance a re-brand. But it’s already there. So if you love a person or a thing, you will accept whatever the shortcomings, and you are still willing to give a chance—with the hope that it will work,” said Binay, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism.
“The last thing I want is for our country and people to be seen bickering about our slogan in front of foreigners/tourists—our putative market,” Escudero said.
The previous campaign generated some 4.47 million in tourist arrivals in 2013 to more than 8.26 million in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.