On April 10, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially announced the appointment of Dita Angara-Mathay as the new tourism secretary, replacing Christina Frasco. According to the statement from the Presidential Communications Office, Angara-Mathay’s appointment in the Department of Tourism (DOT) “reflects the administration’s push to position tourism not only as a cultural showcase, but as a strong driver of jobs, businesses, and regional development.”
The first part of that statement, especially the use of “cultural showcase,” could very well be seen as a slight to the previous secretary and the controversies surrounding her term, but beyond hearsay, Angara-Mathay’s previous experiences as a longterm official in the “trade, investment, and international economic engagement” — as the PCO mentioned —align with the administration’s goal of making the DOT more revenue-generating for the country.
In a text sent to Rolling Stone Philippines, former DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said that the new tourism secretary doesn’t need any advice. Saying, “She comes in with extensive experience from the Department of Trade and Industry, and I’m sure she’ll bring her own perspectives and strengths to the role.”
Meggie Valdes, who worked at the DOT from 2012 to 2016 as the Chief Marketing and Promotions Executive for the Office of the Secretary, offered the same sentiment. She tells Rolling Stone Philippines, “There’s a confident sense of optimism with the appointment of Secretary Angara-Mathay — having been a commercial counselor herself, she knows what it’s like to compete and win in the international landscape, and what makes business sense for the long-term benefit of our tourism industry.”
Valdes also notes that it would be good for the DOT to “bring the campaign’s focus back on the people — this is really our main USP, not just as a travel destination, but as a country […] More than our beaches, we are what make a tourist visit, and visit again and again.”
TOURISM AS SOFT POWER
For David Guerrero, co-founder and creative chairman of BBDO Guerrero, the agency that led the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign under former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr., as well as with Sec. Romulo-Puyat, much can be done to further push our tourism around the world.
“Tourism has the power to help everyone — and it deserves everyone’s support,” he says. “We need to look at ways of rallying the country behind that effort so that when travelers arrive, they have the kind of experience that they want to post about, share, and invite more to join in. National influence rests on soft power.
“A decision like an overseas vacation has a lot of people who can sway it,” says Guerrero. “Currently, a destination like the Maldives is more top-of-mind in many Western countries than the Philippines. Even though we offer significantly better value, as a recent Destination Dupe video comparing the two locations shows.”
To really capture the interest of tourists is easier said than done, but that’s where real strategy comes in. “The era of paid media interrupting content you want to see is not dead, but it is getting less cost-effective,” says Guerrero. “Rather than try to force people to see things they don’t want to, we need to make content that people seek out and wish to share.”
For Guerrero, it all starts with simple awareness. “We need to find ways to join the travel conversation around the world,” he says. “Our close neighbors have done this successfully by capitalizing on the fame of their representatives. For example, Thailand and Blackpink’s (and The White Lotus star) Lisa. Or Malaysia and Academy Award-winning superstar Michelle Yeoh. This goes beyond mere celebrity power. They are banking on contemporary cultural relevance. Giving people something to latch onto.”
Consistency will be a factor for the success of our country’s tourism, according to Guerrero. Not just from the government’s efforts, but through the support of the private sector as well, across all areas and industries. “Tap into all the individual talent and insights into life, movies, pop culture, design, social media, songs, fashion, games, and more. This happens when a campaign has a clear template and permission to take part in it. The ideal would be that every national stakeholder is firing on all cylinders to promote the country in a consistent way.”
‘SENSIBLE AND IMPACTFUL’
“[The new tourism chief should ] work extensively with the private sector,” says Jojo Clemente, President of Rajah Tours Philippines. “Collaboration bears a lot of fruit, and challenges become easier to overcome when the government and the stakeholders work closely together.”
Another one of Clemente’s recommendations is to have a marketing and promotions program to focus on markets that have consistently sent arrivals to the Philippines while watching out for other potential markets. “Since tourism is low on the budget food chain, our efforts should be sensible and impactful, especially with the situation in the Middle East also casting a dark shadow on the industry. We need to position ourselves as a viable and safe destination,” says Clemente, who was also the former President of the Tourism Congress.
“Rather than try to force people to see things they don’t want to, we need to make content that people seek out and wish to share.”
Clemente also touched on affordability. “[The new secretary] may also want to consult with the various segments of the stakeholders, such as airlines and hotels, to see how we can reduce the fares and rates to be able to compete with our regional neighbors, which are more affordable.”
Changes in tourism secretaries are nothing new. Previous administrations have all replaced their initial heads, with most of the successors having a much better track record. And therein lies the hope that under the new DOT chief, the government can reaffirm tourism not just as a massive PR project for the country but most of all, as a viable and sustainable path to financial growth.
