Strengthen promotions and marketing program
to shield RP tourism from flu scare--Gordon

Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) today said that a strong and strategic tourism promotions and marketing program will help in the rapid development of the country's tourism industry and shield it from the effects of the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic.

A regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) has feared that tourist arrivals could slow down due to fears of the spreading influenza A(H1N1) virus. But Gordon said that an effective marketing strategy could avert such scenario.

"We have to show the whole world the beauty of our country and, at the same time, inform them that we are doing everything to contain the disease. The DOT must strengthen its campaign on promoting the tourism potentials of the different places in the country," he said.

Gordon said that under the Tourism Act of 2009, which he principally authored, a Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) will be created. The members of the board shall formulate and implement a plan to market the Philippines as a premier tourist destination.

"The government and the private sector must work hand in hand to strengthen the tourism industry. We should all work together, look for potential tourism enterprise zones in different provinces, develop tourism packages, and advertise. No matter how hard we work, if we are not able to tell it to the whole world through advertisements, it would not be effective," he said.

The senator pointed out that in 2003, when he was DOT secretary, the country's tourism industry was able to overcome the effects of the dreaded disease called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), along with the threats of Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and the Oakwood Mutiny.

Gordon placed the Philippines in the international tourism map by actively marketing the Philippines in several tourism expositions with the WOW Philippines campaign strategy.