THE It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign will be dropped and replaced in time for the Philippines’ hosting of the Miss Universe pageant in January 2017, said tourism secretary Wanda Teo in a press briefing earlier this week.
The decision comes as a Nielsen Media study showed that the campaign had not been successful enough in terms of arrivals.
While Teo did not mention the direction nor agency handling the new campaign, she previously mentioned that it will reflect the changes in the new Philippines under current president Rodrigo Duterte.
Citing the Nielsen study, tourism undersecretary Catherine de Castro said that while 65 per cent of respondents in Europe liked the It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign, only 26 per cent of them would visit the Philippines. Meanwhile, 72 per cent in North America liked it but only 45 per cent indicated they would actually visit.
The news had drawn mixed reactions from the travel trade. Rajah Tours president Jojo Clemente is not in favour, saying that the campaign “has been the best one I have come across…I would be hard pressed to find a better slogan”.
“It encapsulates what the Philippines has to offer. It is something very easy to explain to our clients and to people who haven’t been here,” he added.
Clemente suggested keeping It’s More Fun but changing the latter portion of the slogan, pointing out that the Amazing Thailand campaign has been there for many years and has remained effective.
On the other hand, Great Sights Travel and Tours managing director Paul So said that the new campaign should have “good impact” and that it should fulfill the old campaign’s promise.
Offering a balanced view, TravelExperts consultant Arnie Bayag said: “It depends on what they will come up with. It will be good if they can find a good replacement.”
