Much has been said with regard to the DOT slogan fiasco. I feel all this brouhaha is misplaced because I doubt that even the most dramatic, racy or sexy slogan will "sell" the Philippines as a tourist destination unless we are clear about the role of tourism in the life of our nation.
The "selling" of the Philippines must be part of a grand strategy, a NATIONAL strategy. One that will chart and give us a road map of where we are going as a nation, our priorities, actions, etc. The debate about the slogan just belongs to one aspect of the entire picture.
If that National Strategy identifies tourism as a major revenue source then the other departments and agencies should get involved to ensure the success of the effort. The Dept. of Tourism CANNOT plan as if it were an island by itself. It needs the DPWH for the infrastructure needed to access these tourist spots.
Collaboration with the PNP for the protocols for security of the tourists, whether domestic or foreign. It needs to work with the DOH to inform the tourist/world about our medical tourism services. The Phil Retirement Agency is another agency they can work with since studies show the world is ageing and there are millions of elderly all over the world who have the time and money to visit our country.
TESDA should offer programs that will service the tourism needs of the industry. The DOT can work with the DEPED in planning a See the Philippines for our young people who know only malls and computer shops during the long summer months. And while we're at it, recently the DSWD came out with a study identifying 7M elderly Filipinos. Surely we can design a program/promo for them.
How about getting gov't employees to Tour Now/Pay later through the GSIS or private sector employees through the SSS. Absent a National Strategy, any and all efforts will be merely "Bara-Bara 'Bay".
