Fostering deeper connections with travelers near and far, the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) “Love the Philippines” campaign won “Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign” at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia and Oceania Gala Ceremony, which was held last September 3 at City of Dreams Manila.

Discovering fun, connecting through love. The DOT’s campaign slogan, “Love the Philippines”, is the country’s love letter to the world, inviting travelers to discover more meaningful experiences that will lead them to keep coming back to what they love. A love for white sand beaches, captivating mountains, fantastic dive sites, rich flora and fauna, colorful festivals, world heritage sites, warm and friendly people, gastronomic delights, and many more, “Love the Philippines” highlights the many reasons to love the country beyond fun.

Launched in June 2023, during the DOT’s 50th founding anniversary, the campaign effectively showcases the country’s many natural and cultural treasures enticing more travelers to come and visit.

A Journey of Discovery

An archipelago of 7,641 islands, the Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s famous destinations for business and leisure. Dubbed the “Pearl of the Orient,” the Philippines offers travelers a beautiful mix of experiences that, while unique and exciting, also give a semblance of familiarity that leads to lasting connections. Whether guests are flying into Manila, which is known as a bustling cosmopolitan city teeming with modern experiences and cultural attractions; Cebu, the “Queen City of the South” and the oldest city in the Philippines with beautiful beaches and charming historical destinations; or Davao, Mindanao’s economic hub and home to natural wonders like Mt. Apo, travelers will be warmly welcomed and treated to delightful experiences wherever they travel to in the country.

Enhancing connections through unique local experiences is what makes the “Love the Philippines” campaign more meaningful and effective as a tourism slogan.

Love the Philippines

Anchored on LOVE, the campaign is evocative of what’s beautiful about each region, communicated through four brand pillars:

L – stands for “Biodiversity of Love”, highlighting why the Philippines is one of the 18 megadiverse countries in the world, being home to 70% of the world’s plant species and 80% of the world’s animal species.

O – stands for “Award-Winning and Natural Beauty of Love”, showcasing the country’s natural wonders and UNESCO World Heritage sites that continue to enchant both local and foreign tourists.

V – stands for “The Archipelago of Festive and Cultural Love”, as the country celebrates numerous festivals annually, inspired by the unique culture and love for the tradition of locals in every destination.

E – stands for Gastronomical Love, highlighting Filipino cuisine as being delightfully diverse due to many cultural influences and the unique use of local ingredients.

“We are honored to be awarded Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign for Love the Philippines. Thank you to the World Travel Awards for recognizing our efforts to promote our country by highlighting the many reasons to love the Philippines. This campaign is our way of communicating to the world what the Philippines is all about by going to the heart of every Filipino. Our chosen brand pillars guide us and all our regional offices and agencies in effectively promoting what to love about our country. For first-time visitors, may this spark their interest in exploring our islands, while for returning travelers, may this remind them of what they love about the Philippines. The Love the Philippines campaign goes beyond traveling as we aim to develop lasting connections with tourists that will compel them to visit over and over again.” said Tourism Chief Christina Garcia Frasco.

Complementing the Love the Philippines campaign are various DOT projects that enhance tourists’ experience in the country, such as Tourist Rest Areas in various locations all over the country, the Tourist Assistance Call Center, Tourist First Aid Facilities, and enhancements for the Travel Philippines App.

“The goal is to improve the overall tourism experience by both domestic and foreign tourists so that they not only enjoy exploring our beautiful islands through captivating sceneries and our colorful culture, they will also have good memories of their overall experience in terms of ease of travel, communication, safety, and security,” added Secretary Frasco.

For local travelers, the “Love the Philippines” campaign also has special meaning as it aims to evoke nationalism. By choosing not to be a stranger in their land and exploring not only popular but also emerging destinations in the Philippines, Filipinos are developing a better appreciation for their own country. This also gives them the confidence to be the country’s travel ambassadors through what they share and post about their local travel experiences. The DOT’s “Bisita Be My Guest” incentive program is a good example of how it is encouraging Filipinos to show their love for their country by enticing friends and loved ones abroad to come and visit.

Love the Philippines Around the World

The DOT and its attached agencies have also been very active in promoting “Love the Philippines”, not only locally but also abroad, through various events. Following its launch last year, the DOT held a series of events around the world like in Europe, North America, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China, proudly sharing the many reasons to Love the Philippines. In Europe, the DOT took part in Madrid Feria Internacional de Turismo the biggest travel and consumer fair in Spain, and the CMT Urlaubsmesse tourism expo in Germany, while in Italy and the United Kingdom, the DOT had several activations to promote the campaign such as advertisements on trams, taxis, and train stations while in the US, the DOT held several events such as Love the Philippines at Merkado Kultura and Save the Date: Love the Philippines at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The DOT’s global branding campaign for Love the Philippines was well received and strongly supported by Filipino communities abroad as well as foreign stakeholders.

Aside from being awarded Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign at the 31st WTA Asia and Oceania Gala Ceremony, this year also marked an important milestone as the Philippines hosted a WTA event for the first time, highlighting the enthusiastic support that the country is receiving from those in the international tourism industry.

The country is also grateful to have received several awards, namely Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction (Intramuros), Asia’s Leading Luxury Island Destination (Boracay), Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, Asia’s Leading Island Destination, Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination (Cebu), and the Transformative Leadership Award for Secretary Frasco.

Becoming a “tourism powerhouse” is certainly a big feat. But it is a challenge that the DOT has gladly accepted and through the leadership of Secretary Frasco, is determined to achieve through thoughtful campaigns like “Love the Philippines” and other transformative initiatives.

For more information on the Philippines, visit https://thephilippines.online/ or download the Travel PH App on Android or iOS.