WHILE other countries are good at promoting themselves, attracting a steady flow of arrivals per year, the Visayas must step up, a top official of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said.
PCCI president George Barcelon said that if the Visayas wants to make its tourism products known to all types of markets, it has to produce more content online.
“Share more of your beautiful travel stories and photos about your island online. There’s a lot of locals who haven’t been to your place and one way to attract them is to bombard them with all these breath-taking photos of beaches, caves and other attractions,” said Barcelon.
He noted that sharing videos and photos online have become popular among the younger generation—the future of the travel and tourism industry. It has compelled both young and old to see more of the world.
Barcelon cited Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte, one of the country’s best sandbars, whose popularity shot up as more travel stories and photos went viral on all social media platforms.
“This online thing, which has kept people connected, is making us discover our rich tourism assets that are worth sharing,” said the PCCI official.
Barcelon said this wouldn’t be a difficult task, as Filipinos are heavy digital users and are good in promotion. He stressed that the Visayas can capitalize on the rising digital economy to boost arrivals.
“Visayas is in a strategic position to welcome everyone. Your proximity within your region, offering different flavors of tourism, is an advantage,” said Barcelon.
He said travel blogs could also boost the tourism image of the Visayas, as it will not only offer a glimpse of the region’s tourism jewels, but also provide potential tourists the needed travel information and personal experience.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has urged Filipinos, particularly millennials, to promote tourism through social media platform Instagram.
Tourism Undersecretary Frederick Alegre said in a report that the public should exploit Instagram to promote various places — whether explored or unexplored — in the country.
Global travel blog HomeAway Travel, in January this year, reported that the Philippines was among the well-loved destinations in Asia, according to the number of likes posted on Instagram.
The Philippines, which landed on the 10th spot, generated 3.9 million likes. Top five are Japan with 10.3 million likes; Russia 8.6 million likes; China 7.9 million likes; India with 7.4 million likes and Hong Kong with 6.8 million likes.
In the Philippines, top tourists spots that generated the most Instagram likes are Boracay with 61,708, followed by Coron, Palawan with 47,259 likes and Malapascua, Cebu with 38,622 likes.