A MEASURE strengthening the Philippines’ tourism branding by mandating the use of a national campaign slogan for at least 15 years has been endorsed to the Senate plenary, Senator Erwin T. Tulfo said on Wednesday.
Senate Bill (SB) No. 2511, or the Philippine Tourism Campaign Slogan Act, institutionalizes the country’s tourism branding to ensure consistency as Mr. Tulfo criticized frequent slogan changes, explaining how lack of continuity damages national brand recognition and confuses travelers.
“While changes in tourism campaigns may be intended to reflect evolving priorities and strategies, the frequent introduction and replacement of slogans may also result in discontinuity in the country’s tourism identity, dilute public familiarity and require substantial resources for rebranding and implementation,” Mr. Tulfo said.
Consultations between the Department of Tourism and relevant stakeholders to create the Official Tourism Campaign Slogan are mandatory under the bill, with this new slogan being used across national and local development plans. The measure also prohibits supplementary campaign messages.
If implemented, SB No. 2511 will prevent changing administrations from treating the Philippines’ global identity as a playground, he said in a statement. — Francessca S. Abalos