Despite a reduced budget for branding and marketing, the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) continues to promote the country abroad through various media channels, including television, billboards, and social media. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco highlighted the ongoing 'Love the Philippines' campaign, which has reached key markets worldwide. While acknowledging the challenges posed by the budget cuts, Frasco emphasized the DOT's efforts to address power supply issues on Siargao Island and promote sustainable tourism development.
DESPITE its lower branding budget this year, the Department of Tourism continues to promote the Philippines in key markets abroad, tapping various media. In a recent television interview, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in a mix of Filipino and English, “As we continue to promote the Philippines to the world, in various jurisdictions, we have continued our global campaign for ‘Love the Philippines .
’ This has reached the United States, Europe, many areas of Asia, even the Middle East, and the like.” She added that the LVP campaign was being implemented “by way of traditional marketing, ad placements; we also have executions with the globally-recognized multimedia platforms, as well as social media. Also included are billboard executions.” According to a list of awarded projects available on the DOT website, the agency last year awarded some P273 million in branding and marketing communication projects, the largest of which was the Consulting Services for Local and International Events Marketing Communication at P96 million, awarded to CTV Corporate Television Inc.OTHER Consulting Services projects were awarded for: International Media Placements through Integrated Branded Content for Philippine Destinations and Tourism Products to Universal Vision Solutions Communications Inc., Local Public Relations to David and Golyat Management Inc., Film Tourism to Ubuntu Premium Studios Inc., Social Media Management and Strategic Planning Agency also to Universal Vision, and Production, Content-Creation and Printing of the Muslim-Friendly Travelogue of the Philippines to New Perspective Media FZ LLC. These awarded projects were less than the P712 million in branding projects awarded in 2023. Universal Vision along with David and Golyat were among the companies which also awarded projects in 2023. Frasco said: “In 2023, the budget for branding and marketing was P1.2 billion. In 2024, it was reduced by P1 billion, so just P200 million.” The agency has yet to post new bid announcements for branding projects this year. She said a reduced branding and marketing budget will make it more challenging to sell the Philippines abroad and keep it top of mind among would-be international travelers. Last year, there were just 5.95 million international tourists in the Philippines, 23 percent less than the DOT’s 7.7 million target for the year, and 28.3 percent less than the 8.3-million historic high arrivals in 2019, prior to the pandemic. FRASCO, at the same time, said the DOT is working to help address the challenging power supply situation on Siargao Island, the surfing capital of the Philippines. “I have been closely working with Secretary Lotilla of the Department of Energy , as well as with the local stakeholders of Siargao through our regional office, where we articulated the necessity of managing the power situation to cut short the power shortage.” She added that the DOT is also currently discussing with the DOE “on exploring renewable energy options that Tieza can extend to the island to ensure that their power supply is sustained. Last year, Sen. Miguel Zubiri revealed that owners of hospitality accommodations were being discouraged from constructing in Siargao as they could not to be reassured of continuous power supply. As for her “wish list” this year, Frasco said she is looking forward to the continued improvement of airport infrastructure and the development of more regional airports to increase domestic flights to island destinations. She added that she was “very eager” for the implementation of the Value-Added Tax refund mechanism for international travelers, and the orderly launch of the electronic visa system “and that it can be implemented in the same manner that our neighbors have done, same with our neighbors globally.”Remulla says INC’s rally won’t influence outcome of NBI’s probe vs Sara Duterte
PHILIPPINES TOURISM LOVE THE PHILIPPINES BUDGET CUTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN POWER SUPPLY SIARGAO ISLAND
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
DOT targets to position Philippines as leading tourism hub in Asia by 2028The Department of Tourism (DOT) has adopted the 2024-2028 National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP) in a bid to position the Philippines as a leading tourism destination in Asia in the coming years.
Read more »
Philippines Unveils Ambitious 2025 Tourism PlansThe Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) announced exciting plans for 2025, aiming to revitalize the tourism industry and enhance the traveler experience. Initiatives include Tourist First Aid Facilities, 24/7 tourist courts, Layover Tours, and the 'Golf Experience'. The DOT is also focused on sustainable development with new Tourist Rest Areas featuring rainwater harvesting and solar panels.
Read more »
Taiwan Opens First Tourism Center in Philippines to Attract More VisitorsTaiwan has opened its first tourism center in the Philippines, aiming to attract more Filipino visitors. The move comes as Filipino tourists have emerged as the top visitors to Taiwan from Southeast Asia.
Read more »
Fact-checking tourism in the PhilippinesSTATISTICAL highlights for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) this year showed that the Philippines was seventh among countries in the region in terms of tourist arrivals. The table below shows that our country recorded 5.45 million tourist arrivals as of Dec.
Read more »
Philippines Sees Tourism Boom in 2024Philippine tourism experienced a surge in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic spending levels and attracting high-spending, repeat visitors.
Read more »
Philippines Achieves Record Tourism Revenue in 2024The Philippines exceeded its pre-pandemic tourism performance, generating over P760 billion in revenue from international visitors in 2024.
Read more »