Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Interior and Local Government chief Eduardo Año unveil the refreshed logo and campaign of the country's tourism slogan "It's More Fun in the Philippines." (PNA photo by Enrico Borja)
MANILA-- The Philippines is repurposing the word "fun" in its old tourism slogan, "It's More Fun in the Philippines", by involving the travelers themselves and incorporating sustainability in the refreshed campaign.
At the unveiling ceremony on Monday, Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Department of Tourism's (DOT) campaign would be 100 percent crowdsourced from social media users, both Filipinos and foreigners, who shared their experiences and travels in different destinations in the country.
In every photo or video contributed, the DOT would be donating USD10 to the World Wide Fund for Nature under the name of the contributing tourist.
"When we think of fun, actually it started with the Boracay closure, it's already redefined. When we think of fun, we can have fun but at the same we protect the environment," she told reporters.
With more travelers conscious about their ecological footprint, the culture and experience they are consuming, and simply wanting to give back, Romulo-Puyat said "the time is right for the repurposing of the word fun."
She said the refreshed campaign serves as the country's invitation for local and foreigners alike to "be part of the fun."
"In addition to your content, a contribution is made in your name in the preservation of our beaches, mountains and wildlife-- we thank you and the environment thanks you," she added.
To inspire the spirit of participation, the DOT is set to release a custom-made font that could be used by anyone sharing their photos, videos, and reasons why they like the country-- free of charge.
The free font called “barabara” draws on the Filipino style of hand-painted lettering. It is also supported by the new tourism logo, inspired by local woven textiles - which offer a fresh graphic identity system that symbolizes not only fun but also contemporary and more sustainable tourism offering.
Meanwhile, Howie Uyking, DOT Assistant Secretary for Branding and Marketing Communications, said the Philippines is now riding the sustainability wave by striking a balance between development and conservation, as well as making the tourism industry inclusive-- an example of which is the Boracay and Manila Bay rehabilitation.
He said these rehabilitation efforts "are just the beginning of something much greater."
Making this paradigm shift "more fun," Uyking said the DOT decided to retain the old slogan.
To date, the DOT has yet to determine the number of materials they will use for the campaign but DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzo Jr. is optimistic the refreshed slogan would make the Philippines more competitive compared to other popular destinations in the region.
"We haven't figured out the number of materials yet because right now, we're just basing it on what we will generate from crowdsourcing," he said.
"But I think the most significant thing that has emerged out of the refreshed campaign is that it provides platform among all of us to be involved in a very meaningful way," he added. (PNA)
