LGUs urged to come up with own tourism sales brands

Local government units (LGUs) should adopt their own tourism sales brand in order to promote their city or province to the international community, an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Wednesday.

 

Domingo Ramon Enerio, Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer of the DOT, made the challenge after Albay on March 10 became the first LGU to be featured in the Internationale Tourismus-Borse (ITB), the world’s largest travel trade fair held in Berlin. 

 

"We look at getting the LGUs actually involved and becoming more and more marketing-oriented in promoting not just to the local market but to the international market as well," he said during the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) 2nd General Membership Meeting for 2013.

 

Enerio narrated that LGU officials used to ask the DOT what it is doing to promote their city or province. 

 

"But now, the provinces, the cities, the municipalities, are actually going out of their way to promote themselves, which is a very good thing, because more and more voices are heard out of the Philippines promoting different destinations," he said 

 

Enerio said they are expecting as many as six LGUs to participate in the World Travel Market in London this November. 

 

More Panagbenga-type events

 

He cited events such as Cebu's Sinulog Festival, the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival in Puerto Galera, and Baguio's Panagbenga Festival, saying the DOT would like to support and develop more of these. 

 

"Sinulog attracted 4 to 5 million tourists this January. That type of event actually already promotes itself very well. And we want to see more of these types of events," he said. 

 

Enerio also noted that the Philippines should take advantage of its strengths, such as its many dive sites. 

 

"It should be a given for us because are a country of so many wonderful, beautiful, and adventurous dive spots. But we don't have our own Philippine International Dive Festival. We would like to focus on this because it showcases what's good about the country," he said. 

 

Must benefit people

 

According to Enerio, it isn't just the natural attractions that are putting local destinations on the map. "The people are actually the reason it's more fun in the Philippines," he said.

 

Because of this, the DOT's objective is to ensure that the campaign is felt by "the least of our brethren in the farthest of our communities," he said.

 

"Of course the major players have a major stake in this. But we want people to also benefit from this program, from the tourism industry. We want the farmers, the fishermen, all those that provide food and services to our guests to actually have a stake in this and so that their own respective destinations are also promoted," he said.

 

According to Enerio, tourism is for destinations that are marginalized as far as other industries are concerned. 

 

Meanwhile, PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz said it is important for those outside the tourism industry to understand what tourism is. "Kasi ang tourism should be felt by the people. Otherwise, kapag hindi, ang nakaka-appreciate lang niyan, 'yung can afford," he said. 

 

In line with this, the first Philippine Tourism Week, to be held in September, will include activities that will help bring tourism to the grassroots level, Cruz said. 

 

"Dapat makita nila yung benefit nila. Ano ba 'yung benefit sa akin nito pag marami nang turista?" he said. 

 

Enerio said the DOT hopes to reach 44 million domestic travelers in 2013, after already exceeding its 2016 goal last year. 

 

"We already hit something like 35 million domestic travelers in 2012. So we're looking at really pushing and hit as much as 44 million domestic travelers in 2013," he said. — KBK, GMA News