The Department of Tourism (DoT) has called on the private sector to support tourism promotion efforts and help in creating greater awareness about the country and its prime tourist attractions.
Tourism Secretary Alberto Aldaba Lim made the call as he lauded companies that had given support to the domestic tourism advocacy of the Department of Tourism by adopting travel and tourism themes in their advertising campaigns.
Lim is asking other companies to do the same as their way of contributing to getting the marginalized members of the society, particularly in the countryside, out of poverty.
“We are appealing to those with huge advertising budgets. We really need your help in promoting the best of what our country can offer. By helping us you are also helping reduce poverty,” said Lim.
Lim said tourism, having a multiplier effect, creates jobs and livelihood opportunities that can improve the lives of communities hosting the country’s natural assets.
The tourism secretary also noted that the quality of the promotional materials used by these companies were of global standards. This has been proven effective, with several ad campaigns bagging local and international awards, the latest being the “Limestone” ad that bagged the Bronze award in the Outdoor Lions Category of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. It was a collaboration between the DoT and private companies such as Smart Communications Inc. and DM9 JaymeSyfu.
“The ad was meant to make people realize that you don’t have to go abroad in search of a vacation paradise because we have it here in our own backyard costing much less at that,” Lim said.