‘Love the Philippines’ is PH's new tourism slogan

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday unveiled the country's new tourism slogan—"Love the Philippines."

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. graced the launch at the Manila Hotel of the new tourism campaign which coincided with 50 years of Philippine tourism. Also present were the former chiefs of the agency.

"Love the Philippines" will replace "It's More Fun in the Philippines", the country's invitation to travelers since 2012.

In his speech, Marcos vowed to include in his priorities the advancement of the country's tourism industry.

"This prioritization goes deeper than merely stimulating economic activities and generating job opportunities. It springs from the genuine love, me and all of us have for the Filipinos. And what better way to express that love than directly incorporating it into our country’s newest tourism campaign slogan, Love the Philippines," Marcos said.

Marcos said the new slogan would serve as a guidepost for the Philippines' tourism industry in its path forward.

He said he continues to see improving figures when it comes to the tourism revenues, employment, international arrivals and domestic trips.

"All of these are encouraging signs that the tourism industry in our country as a whole is headed well towards full recovery. It also conveys a strong message to the world that we are ready and fully equipped to welcome tourists, travelers as well as investors," Marcos said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said in May that the new touism campaign would focus on the country’s assets that have yet to be maximized, such as its culture and its people.

“The enhanced tourism slogan will give our country an opportunity to market itself not just as a fun destination, which it will continue to be, but also as a destination for everything else that includes highlighting our culture and our people,” Frasco said at a news forum.

Frasco said the new slogan would be released following the approval of the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023–2028.

The feel of every new experience, the fun, the thrill, the excitement, and more-- we’re ready to share with you. Visit us soon. https://t.co/CNaZMm55k3 #LoveThePhilippines pic.twitter.com/cnfNuRQhpR

— Visit Philippines (@TourismPHL) June 27, 2023

Citing data from tourism-related publications, Frasco said that trends after the COVID-19 lockdowns showed that travelers and tourists wanted to have substantive, immersive, and authentic cultural experiences.

“We are now in the process of enhancing; there are so many aspects of Philippine tourism that go beyond fun,” Frasco said then, but noted that the industry does not hinge on the campaign alone as product development is also needed.

“We recognize that we still have many destinations in the country that still require assistance in terms of accessibility,” she added, with the Philippines ranking sixth in the ASEAN region in terms of infrastructure.

Ambassadors

Marcos called on Filipinos to be the country's main tourism ambassadors, citing their natural warmth as the country's "greatest asset."

"I call on the entire Filipino nation to allow yourselves to be our country’s tourism ambassadors. I enjoin you all to be our country’s promoters, advocates, and if I may borrow a coined term in this age of social media, be our country’s top influencers," Marcos said.

"Indeed the Philippines will never run out of places to discover, of meals to enjoy, adventures to experience, people to meet, talents to admire," Marcos added.

He said the hospitality that Filipinos extend to visitors, both local and foreign, is "a unique characteristic that is innately embedded in the social fabric of being a Filipino."

Marcos expressed gratitude to the entire workforce of the Department of Tourism for being the main drivers in the "promotion of our beautiful country."

He also thanked those who are working in the tourism industry for their services to the public.

"I urge you to continue in your role in sustaining the momentum that we have built towards improving our tourism landscape," said the President.

"To everyone in the industry who offer their services, to our guests, to our travel agents, to our hotel staff, airline crews, boat operations, everyone who welcomes our tourists with a warm and bright smiles, to make certain that they have a great and memorable experience, maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat," he added.

Tourism boom

Frasco said the country could capitalize on the expected tourism boom as the DOT targets 4.8 million international tourists this year after hitting 2.65 million in 2022. It also expects a 100% recovery of domestic tourism.

Data from the DOT showed that the country has recorded 2,641,993 visitors from January 1 to June 26, 2023.

“We can see how tourism, notwithstanding the recent reopening due to the pandemic, has proven itself to be a very reliable source of income for our fellow Filipinos and a reliable source of contribution to our economy,” she said.

The DOT is also set to launch a new mobile application where users will be able to match their interests to suitable destinations within the Philippines based on the existing database of the agency and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

The soft launch is expected by June or July, with the application available for domestic and international travelers.—NB, GMA Integrated News