The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrated its golden year with a momentous event at the iconic Manila Hotel, where President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, and esteemed officials unveiled the country’s enhanced tourism campaign, “Love the Philippines.” The occasion marked the highlight of the Department’s 50th founding year celebration on Tuesday, June 27.
Amidst an audience comprising former DOT chiefs, officials, employees from central and regional offices, government agency heads, Cabinet Secretaries, representatives from the House of Representatives, tourism stakeholders, and the media, Secretary Frasco proudly introduced the enhanced campaign as a fitting tribute to the DOT’s golden anniversary.
“As we conclude the remarkable fifty-year journey of the DOT and embark on a new era of Philippine tourism, it is only right that we seize this opportunity to reintroduce our country to the world,” expressed Secretary Frasco.
“Love the Philippines resonates deeply within every Filipino, capturing our inherent grace and hospitality as we warmly embrace every guest who sets foot on our shores, in our communities, and within our homes. It recognizes our natural wonders, our vibrant history, and our diverse culture,” she added, emphasizing that the country’s offerings extend far beyond the fun and adventure that have been previously highlighted.
“The Philippines is a treasure trove of biodiversity, standing among the world’s 18 mega biodiverse nations. It is a tapestry woven with culture and history, a tantalizing explosion of flavors and gastronomy, and a rich tapestry of indigenous peoples and creative communities who, through their craftsmanship, have preserved the integrity and essence of the Filipino identity. This is who we are. The Philippines’ complexities and nuances have yet to be fully conveyed to the world. The story of the Filipino remains largely untold, and it is through the narrative of love that we shall share our story. Love the Philippines,” Secretary Frasco passionately affirmed.
PBBM’s unequivocal support
Gracing the milestone event for Philippine tourism, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed his utmost support for “Love the Philippines”, saying that the enhanced tourism campaign “springs from the genuine love that you, me, and all of us have for the Philippines.”
“And what better way to express that love than by directly incorporating it into our country’s newest tourism campaign slogan, Love the Philippines. This new branding which we unveil today, will serve as our guidepost for the Philippine tourism industry moving forward. Allow me then to express my sincerest appreciation to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and for the DOT team, because aside from the promotion of the country’s tourist destinations, the campaign that you have conceptualized aims to enhance the overall experience of every travel, included in that list of targets are to promote regional products, build more infrastructure for ease of travel, and champion green movements, among others,” the President enthused.
Adjusting to the post-pandemic tourism landscape and changing trends
With the everchanging global tourism landscape post pandemic, and the growing desire of travelers for more immersive experiences in their travels, the DOT viewed the enhanced brand as a timely response to the demands of the industry.
In a recent survey conducted by the United Nations World Travel Organization (UNWTO) among its member countries, market repositioning and rebranding strategies is among the priorities identified after the pandemic based on its Survey Findings on Member Priorities for UNWTO program of work 2024-2025.
With an enhanced tourism campaign in tow, the DOT’s focus now is to show more of what there is to “Love the Philippines” as it works towards the realization of President Marcos, Jr.’s vision for the country to become a tourism powerhouse in Asia.
“Indeed, if we are to compete with our neighbors in our effort as well to partner with them for Asia to become a powerhouse tourism region in the world, the time has come for us to add to the value proposition of the Philippines by telling the world how much more we have to offer,” Secretary Frasco said.
“We have multiple facets of tourism destinations that present a golden opportunity for we have only scratched the surface thus far,” she added.
Rosy prospects for Philippine tourism
According to Secretary Frasco, the world has “the world has noticed that there is so much to love about the Philippines.”
This, as the Philippines has recorded 2,641,993 visitors from January 1 to June 26, 2023, and is close to breaching the 2.65 million arrivals it recorded for 2022.
Further, the tourism sector is regarded as a stalwart as far as contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is concerned. According to the 2022 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts (PTSA) for 2022, the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA) share of the sector to the Philippine economy, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was estimated at 6.2 percent and amounted to PHP 1.38 trillion in 2022.
The Philippines is also seeing a boost in tourism-related enterprise employment, with 5.35 million estimated tourism employment last year. As she rallied their support for the DOT’s vision of showcasing the best of the Philippines to the world under the Marcos administration, the Secretary said: “As we usher in this golden era for tourism, for our fellow Filipinos, for our beautiful country, let us find it in our hearts to have that burning pride of place for the Philippines, to Love the Philippines, to usher us into the continued recovery and vigorous comeback of the Philippines to the world.”
