THE Philippine Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) officially launched Visit the Philippines Year 2015 in Singapore at Conrad Centennial Singapore on Tuesday evening, marking the first unveiling of the campaign outside the Philippines.
Key to the campaign is the first-ever MTV Music Evolution event, brainchild of Viacom International Media Networks Asia’s MTV and the Philippine TPB.
Scheduled to take place in Manila in 2Q15, the concert will explore the evolution of a music genre by bringing together iconic regional or local artistes in that field. Hip hop will be the first genre of study.
The Philippines’ tourism secretary Ramon R Jimenez said: “Through our partnership with MTV, young people from around the world will now have the opportunity to share in this passion and experience why and how the music culture is even more fun in the Philippines.”
Said Paras Sharma, vice president-MTV, Comedy Central & Digital Media (Asia), Viacom International Media Networks Asia: “MTV Music Evolution in Manila reinforces the Philippines’ image as a choice destination for youth travellers by using music as a key platform, something which we’ve done with Malta, Scotland, Malaysia and Northern Ireland.”
He added that the MTV Music Evolution’s audience is expected to be in the “tens of thousands”. Details on the venue and artist line-up will be announced later.
Asked if this event indicates the NTO’s emphasis on the youth market, Domingo Ramon C Enerio III, COO of the Philippine TPB, replied: “We would like a lot more youth travellers coming in – not just the young ones but also the ‘young once’.”
Besides partnering major tour operators specialising in youth travel and offering incentives for tour operators and travel agencies to experience MTV Music Evolution in Manila, the TPB is already working on a “big partnership with STA Travel” for a separate project, Enerio shared.
“There are so many music and art festivals lined up that we can now use to sharpen the focus on the youth market,” he added, citing the country’s biggest outdoor electronic dance music party, Life Dance Philippines, which happens annually every January in Cebu, as an example.
The Philippines is aiming for 8.6 million arrivals in 2015 and, besides the youth market, will also focus on South Korea and the US.
Read more stories in TTG-ITB Asia Daily
