The DOT describes the campaign as the country’s “love letter to the world.”
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is replacing the country’s flagship campaign since 2012. This was unveiled at the celebration of DOT’s 50th anniversary yesterday, June 27.
The logo and slogan were created by DDB Philippines on a budget of P50 million from the DOT. The previous one, “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” was created by BDDO Guerrero for P5 million in 2012, during the term of DOT Secretary Mon Jimenez.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said, “Love the Philippines goes to the very heart of every single Filipino with the distinct grace and hospitality with which we welcome every guest that comes into our shores, our communities, and our homes. Love the Philippines is a recognition of our natural assets, our long and storied history, our rich culture and diversity.”
She also noted that there is so much more to the country than “the fun and adventure” that has so far been articulated. “The Philippines is a powerhouse of mega biodiversity, being only one of 18 mega biodiverse countries in the world, a deep well of culture and history, a profound burst and taste of flavor and gastronomy, a tapestry of indigenous peoples and creative communities by whose work of their hands have safeguarded the dignity and integrity of the Filipino identity. This is who we are. These complexities and nuances of the Philippines have yet to be fully articulated to the world for indeed, the story of the Filipino has yet to be fully told, and we shall tell that story by telling them the story of love. Love the Philippines.”
Also at the event was President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who expressed his 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.”
In a recent survey conducted by the United Nations World Travel Organization (UNWTO) among its member countries, market repositioning, and rebranding strategies are 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 becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia.
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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.
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) 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.