WITHOUT being asked by the government, I have been studying out of personal curiosity the riddle why the country keeps falling short of its target of 10 million tourist arrivals every year despite so many changes in administration and tourism secretaries over the past four decades.
I believe the country has essentially been hampered by weak messaging and failure to project our land and people in their best lights, and to take advantage of our strongest assets.
In the late 20th century, when international tourism was entered big-time by Asian countries hungry for a share of the tourism pie, the country could only watch enviously while our Asian neighbors recorded a major expansion in their tourist arrivals and revenues.
Thailand, India, Malaysia and Indonesia gained traction through interesting and arresting campaigns that depicted their lands and peoples in an imaginative way.
Thailand captured and tickled global interest with an advertising and promotions campaign entitled “Amazing Thailand.”
India followed suit with its fascinating “Incredible India” campaign.
Not to be left behind, Malaysia came up with its “Malaysia, Truly Asia” campaign.
Then came Indonesia, the biggest country in Southeast Asia, with its “Remarkable Indonesia” campaign.
The Philippines could only watch as these countries increased their tourism arrivals and revenues by the millions. The best our tourism managers could manage were campaigns headlined as “Wow Philippines” and “Fiesta Islands.”
Simple lack of imagination and know-how, and a tendency to copy and imitate have prevented the country from measuring up with its own interesting campaign to market the Philippines.
Now in this new time, when the government is bereft of a tourism secretary, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Congress should seize the moment to redesign tourism policy and programs to project the country in a new way and in a fresh light.
‘Historic Philippines’
With several decades of personal experience in advertising, public relations, journalism and public policy development, I will venture to suggest that the country’s best and most imaginative reply to “Amazing Thailand,” etc., is a tourism and promotions campaign headlined as “Historic Philippines.”
History is the gateway for depicting and projecting what is unique and special about our land and our people, and the difference we make in the world.
We entered history as the site of the first circumnavigation of the world on March 16, 1521, by Ferdinand Magellan.
Because of Magellan’s discovery, our archipelago was subsequently named Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain.
On June 3, 1572, the Spanish crown established the Spanish holy city of Manila by a charter and called it the kingdom of Felipinas.
In 1898, following the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, the United States invaded the Spanish colony on the urging of imperialist writers like Rudyard Kipling to take the Philippines as “the white man’s burden.”
The US fought a war with Filipino revolutionary forces and subsequently colonized the country.
On July 4, 1946, the Philippines won full independence and sovereignty from the US.
The Philippines became the site of the People Power revolution, and EDSA People Power successfully overthrew the government of then-president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and sent him into exile in 1986.
Integrating this history into the tourism theme and message is the surest way to capture again the interest and fascination of the world.
One key to tourism success is to open the nation’s door again to its Hispanic past and the Spanish-speaking world. Spanish-speaking countries are constituted by about 500 million people.
As a final reform, I would suggest that the country should reconsider the teaching of Spanish as a second language. Because of the proficiency of Filipinos in acquiring foreign languages, our people can quickly learn to speak and write Spanish again.
Spain is a major part of our past. It will also figure in shaping our future.
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