DOT: 'Discover More to Love' campaign earns over P100,000 since launch

The Department of Tourism’s (DOT) “Discover More to Love” campaign has generated more than P100,000 in sales since its June 26 launch, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said Monday.

“After the announcement, (‘Discover More to Love’ has gained) more than P100,000,” Angara-Mathay told reporters.

The DOT said the figure was reported by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, adding that the agency has several other partner stakeholders participating in the campaign.

Launched on Friday, the “Discover More to Love” campaign aims to encourage Filipinos to explore local destinations by offering travel deals and promotions.

Angara-Mathay said the initiative was rolled out as rising airfare, driven by tensions in the Middle East, has made international travel more expensive due to disruptions in fuel deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The airlines cannot put the prices down because 80% of their cost is fuel,” she said.

“Hindi natin mako-control ’yun, pero mako-control natin 'yung loob. Ang maganda sa ‘Discover the Philippines’ is the entire industry coming together,” she added.

(We cannot control that, but we can manage domestic travel. What’s good about 'Discover the Philippines' is that the entire industry is coming together.)

Angara-Mathay clarified that the campaign is meant to complement, not replace, the DOT’s flagship “Love the Philippines” branding campaign.

“It will not replace ‘Love the Philippines’ because even multinational companies have one brand that they adjust depending on their target audience or target clients,” she said.

In a social media post, the DOT said the “Discover More to Love” campaign features more than 3,000 travel deals from hotels, tour operators, airlines, and other travel-related businesses nationwide.

The agency said these offers are intended to provide Filipinos with easier and more affordable ways to visit tourist destinations across the country.

Angara-Mathay earlier said the DOT is prioritizing domestic travelers and balikbayans (returning Filipinos) as key drivers of tourism growth, noting that domestic tourism generates four times more revenue than foreign visitors.

“Domestic tourism is four times what we earn from foreign travelers. If you look at the composition of how much the industry earns, domestic tourism contributes a lot. That’s where we find the low-hanging fruits,” she said.— MCG, GMA News