Recto urges gov’t to hype Boracay re-opening

Senator Ralph Recto on Thursday urged the government to hype the resort island’s reopening in six months and even declare 2019 “Visit Boracay Year.”

Recto said the government should market the six-month closure as a needed "beauty rest," and that after 25 weeks, Boracay will "wake up" more refreshed and rejuvenated.

“Makeovers are regular occurrences in the hospitality sector. When these facilities re-open, they attract more customers who are curious about the improvements or new attractions. In the end, the income lost during the renovation is immediately recouped,” he said in a press statement.

He described the closure as a "one step backward, two steps forward" strategy which would make the world’s best island better.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the closure of Boracay, which he earlier described as a cesspool, starting April 26.

Stakeholders earlier said the impending closure of the prime tourist destination may result in at least P56 billion in foregone revenues and render 36,000 people jobless.

Senator Antonio Trillanes III has filed a resolution seeking probe into the closure of the resort island to look into the development masterplan.

Recto said the challenge to the government’s communication team is to hype Boracay’s reopening so that the buzz created translates to more hotel and flight bookings.

He said government could use the Department of Tourism’s P1.15-billion advertising budget for 2018 to launch a promotional campaign that will make Boracay’s return an anticipated event in the Philippines' big tourism markets, including China, South Korea and Japan.

“Boracay has a huge global fan base who can be lured to revisit the island of their dreams. Pero kung paano gagawin, ito ay trabaho hindi lang ng pamahalaan, ngunit pati ng private sector,” he said.

He added that the government should also harness Filipinos' fondness for social media to promote Boracay's return.

“Ang gagaling nating gumawa ng memes. Gawin natin ‘yan para sa Boracay. Pero yung positive, para maengganyo ang mga turista na bumalik pagkatapos ng anim na buwan na rehabilitasyon. Tap the social media influencers. At kung sinuman ang mga commanders ng troll armies, masabihan sila na tumulong din,” he said.

“Maraming pwedeng gawin. Teasers, countdowns. All the bells and whistles. Pati YouTube posts, which can attract millions of views. Ngunit ngayon pa lang, dapat gawin na ito,” he added. — BM, GMA News