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Give 'Love the Philippines' a chance: Chiz tells critics of new tourism slogan
Philippines
National
Give 'Love the Philippines' a chance: Chiz tells critics of new tourism slogan
Give 'Love the Philippines' a chance: Chiz tells critics of new tourism slogan
Published Jun 28, 2023 03:06 am
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday, June 28 said the new campaign “Love the Philippines,” that the Department of Tourism (DOT) recently launched, is worth giving a chance.
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Senate PRIB Photo)
“While I believe in the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ I am willing to give it a chance,” Escudero said in a statement.
But Escudero reiterated that the effectiveness of a country’s tourism slogan still depends on many factors, such as the destination’s unique offerings, target audience and marketing strategy.
The new tourism slogan was launched by the DOT during its 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, June 27. DOT officials said the new mantra aims to keep up with the Marcos administration efforts to attract more international tourists to help the country recover economically from the effects of the recent Covid-19 health crisis.
During the launch, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his administration is
“propelling the tourism industry forward by embracing the warmth of our people, the beauty of our land, and the rich tapestry of our culture.”
Escudero urged the Filipino people to support the DOT’s efforts instead of criticizing it outright.
“The last thing I want is for our country and people to be seen bickering about our slogan in front of foreigners or tourists—our putative market,” he said.
“I refuse to be part of any such thing until we have given it a chance,” the senator stressed.
But Escudero admitted that the previous campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” which was launched in 2012, has worked well for the country.
The former slogan helped generated some 4.47 million in tourist arrivals in 2013 to more than 8.26 million in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines in early 2020.
But a good tourism slogan should be catchy, memorable, and convey a positive message that captures the essence of the destination, the lawmaker pointed out.
“My personal favorite is ‘Incredible India.’ This slogan, for me, works well because it is simple, memorable, and accurately capture the essence of the destination it represents,” Escudero disclosed.
In finally settling for “Love the Philippines,” Escudero said he is assuming that DOT officials and partner agencies have taken the above qualities of a good tourism slogan into account.
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Senate PRIB Photo)
“While I believe in the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ I am willing to give it a chance,” Escudero said in a statement.
But Escudero reiterated that the effectiveness of a country’s tourism slogan still depends on many factors, such as the destination’s unique offerings, target audience and marketing strategy.
The new tourism slogan was launched by the DOT during its 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, June 27. DOT officials said the new mantra aims to keep up with the Marcos administration efforts to attract more international tourists to help the country recover economically from the effects of the recent Covid-19 health crisis.
During the launch, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his administration is
“propelling the tourism industry forward by embracing the warmth of our people, the beauty of our land, and the rich tapestry of our culture.”
Escudero urged the Filipino people to support the DOT’s efforts instead of criticizing it outright.
“The last thing I want is for our country and people to be seen bickering about our slogan in front of foreigners or tourists—our putative market,” he said.
“I refuse to be part of any such thing until we have given it a chance,” the senator stressed.
But Escudero admitted that the previous campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” which was launched in 2012, has worked well for the country.
The former slogan helped generated some 4.47 million in tourist arrivals in 2013 to more than 8.26 million in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines in early 2020.
But a good tourism slogan should be catchy, memorable, and convey a positive message that captures the essence of the destination, the lawmaker pointed out.
“My personal favorite is ‘Incredible India.’ This slogan, for me, works well because it is simple, memorable, and accurately capture the essence of the destination it represents,” Escudero disclosed.
In finally settling for “Love the Philippines,” Escudero said he is assuming that DOT officials and partner agencies have taken the above qualities of a good tourism slogan into account.