MANILA, Philippines - The "Pilipinas, Tara Na!" domestic travel campaign has been rolled out by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The campaign, is being undertaken with help from Smart Communications, Inc.
The program aims to encourage Filipinos to travel to within the country.
The DOT and Smart agreed to jointly produce print and TV advertisements and billboards.
The TV ads, which are currently running nationwide, focus on culture, history, ecotourism, nature, and adventure.
The DOT also joined hands with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) and Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) for programs to support the campaign.
To finance a remake of the "Biyahe Tayo" music video, Smart will also co-fund the multimedia promotions campaign and produce and distribute sim cards depicting various tourist destinations.
"Domestic tourism redistrisbutes income to the countryside where there is higher incidence of poverty which is why it is at the top of our agenda, and thus this campaign," DOT Secretary Alberto Lim said.
"According to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, 23 million Filipinos travelled within the country in 2009, 7.8 million of whom travelled for leisure or vacation. These iniatives will help stimulate further growth of the domestic base," he added.
The DOT has also endorsed Johnson & Johnson Philippines' domestic tourism advocacy campaign "Basta Pinas," launched last March.
The campaign involves public relations and new media efforts towards getting the public to explore the Philippines with fresh perspective.
