When it comes to travel destinations, the Philippines is one of the most beautiful countries in Asia where one can explore exotic beaches, enjoy dive sites, marvel in its flora and fauna, delight in its gustatory offerings, and most of all, enjoy the hospitality of “the most giving people on the planet,” as mentioned by Anthony Bourdain in his TV show Parts Unknown.
Through the efforts of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its successful “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, people all over the world are noticing the beautiful archipelago and its attractions, hopefully more than the endless parade of celebrities or political soap operas on social media.
“With the highest percentage of its population highly active on social media compared to any other country, the Philippines has been dubbed as the social media capital of the world,” says Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. “On many occasions, the DOT would leverage this strength by utilizing social media in most of our campaigns. Social media has, in fact, allowed us to be a game-changer in the tourism industry through our ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign, whose central strategy is executed and propagated by millions of active, enthusiastic Filipinos themselves, who feel they have the power to persuade people to visit their country as tourists,” he adds.
The DOT’s latest effort is to bring to the country five of the biggest travel influencers on Instagram and Snapchat from Beautiful Destinations, an award-winning creative agency that has amassed a good amount of lifestyle and travel portfolio online. The group has more than 10 million followers in over 180 countries globally who are inspired by the agency’s online posts about travel, food, fashion and lifestyle.
The team is composed of its founder and CEO as well as travel social media expert Jeremy Jauncey; head of Brand Partnerships and celebrated travel drone pioneer Tom Jauncey; community manager and London’s top Instagram travel photographer and videographer Jacob Riglin; world-renowned iPhone-only photographer James Relf Dyer; and the videographer for American DJ duo, The Chainsmokers, Sam Kolder. They are set to capture images and videos through their unique perspective and push the same online to drive interest from followers and inspire them to visit the Philippines.
The team will be traveling in Cebu, the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines and home to some of the country’s most iconic heritage spots. They will also visit the chocolate hills in Bohol, and experience close encounters with the world’s smallest primate, the Tarsier. The exotic Palawan is also part of the itinerary, as well as Pangasinan and the country’s capital, Manila. While visiting, the group will be capturing moments on all their social media accounts including Facebook as well as the DOT’s Instagram and Facebook accounts which will reach more than 10 million followers around the world. The coolest part will be the video showing outside the Philippine Center at 556 Fifth Avenue, New York, giving passersby a glimpse of the team’s daily adventures in Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Pangasinan and Manila.
During the influencers’ visit to Manila, DOT will be hosting InstaMeet, a meet-and-greet event between the Beautiful Destinations team and local travel and lifestyle influencers from the Philippines. The venue aims to provide a creative platform for foreign and local influencers to exchange ideas on photography, travel and lifestyle, with hopes to enhance the country’s tourism efforts. Cebuano furniture designer Vito Selma, Filipino backpackers, and photographers Jaypee Swing and Rod Ruales are slated to join the event.
“Advertising is evolving away from an art of interruption and towards an art of inclusion. We’re showcasing living, breathing, destinations stories in real time and are incredibly excited about partnering with the Philippine Department of Tourism to harness the power of Instagram and Snapchat,” says Jauncey. “Shooting what we call social-first content prioritizes unique perspectives shot by social media experts that captivate travelers in a much more genuine way than content typically shot for print and broadcast campaigns,” he adds.
“As the social media landscape continues to develop at a rapid pace, we have to adapt to changing times in order to stay ahead of the curve. Collaborating with Beautiful Destinations, which has already set the global standard for creating social content, is surely an effective way to make our country’s presence in the digital space more felt by travelers who are highly reliant on social media,” Secretary Jimenez ends.
For more information about the Department of Tourism, visit www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com.