Travelers continue to flock to the Philippines despite the recent hullabaloo over the country’s new tourism slogan, the leader of a group of tour operators said Sunday.
In an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo, the president of the Philippine Tour Operators’ Association (Philtoa), Fe Abling-Yu, said the controversy surrounding the country’s new “Love The Philippines” tourism campaign had little to no effect on foreign tourists, who continue to come to the country after three years of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abling-Yu said the country’s tour operators continue to be more aggressive in their approach to attracting tourists to the Philippines, as foreign tourists themselves were just as aggressive in spending money for travel.
She added that while the “Love the Philippines” slogan did somehow help them in their tourism efforts, Phitoa “did not bank on the slogan that much.”
Abling-Yu also said it was business as usual for tour operators in the country despite the flak that the Tourism department drew for using a promotional video with stock footage from other countries.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has terminated its contract with the ad agency DDB Philippines, which was responsible for producing and circulating the video online.
Amid calls for a congressional probe on the video fiasco, PresidentFerdinand Marcos Jr. said DOT Secretary Christina Frasco still enjoys his trust and confidence.
As of May 2023, there have been 2.38 million international arrivals to the Philippines, Abling-Yu said, citing DOT figures.
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said she isbatting for a thorough investigation into the recent controversies surrounding the Department of Tourism’s new branding campaign.
She cited the need for transparency and accountability as millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money are involved in this issue.
Castro raised concern over reports suggesting the involvement of personalities with close ties to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“It is imperative that we shed light on this ‘Frasco fiasco’ to ensure that public funds are being utilized appropriately and that there is no undue influence from individuals associated with the Marcos regime,” she said.
She emphasized that any misuse or mismanagement of public funds should not be tolerated, especially given the pressing needs of the Filipino people in these challenging times.