After much deliberation and pressure from the trade, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT) has confirmed that it will retain the It’s more fun in the Philippines campaign slogan.
In an interview with TTG Asia, tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo revealed that she had initially thought of changing the slogan as a Nielsen study showed that despite a catchy tagline and high recall factor, It’s more fun in the Philippines did not translate into tourist numbers.
But UNWTO director general Taleb Rifai convinced her not to change the tourism slogan but improve upon it to reflect the country’s warm service and hospitality.
The decision to keep the current slogan has been well received among the trade.
Welcoming Teo’s decision, the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) – which earlier produced a position paper against a new campaign slogan – said that the existing slogan has yet to achieve its full potential.
Philtoa’s president Cesar Cruz cited various factors, from inadequate tourism offerings to lacking infrastructure, as possible reasons contributing to the slogan’s low conversion rate earlier.
Rajah Tours’ president, Jojo Clemente, said: “It’s very hard to find a replacement slogan that encapsulates and captures what the destination and the people are all about… You have to give it a lot of time to get a good replacement.”
Clemente added that the private sector will make a concerted effort next year to support the slogan.
