It’s More Fun In The Philippines – What?
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Image courtesy Girlie Cervantes
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For sure almost everything you can imagine doing is actually “more fun in the Philippines” and for sure the main reason is the people but, as a promotional slogan for an entire country, for the foreseeable future, the statement has so much potential for negative parody that, in my opinion, its use is most dangerous. I can imagine how easily sarcasm would have turned to ridicule, when combined with the infamous Manila tourist bus rescue. “It’s more fun in the Philippines” may even become a trade description issue insomuch as a few, who will no doubt find it less fun, could sue over the comparative lack thereof.
If, as our new head of Tourism suggests, the slogan came from research derived from comments made by people who have already visited the Philippines then is “it’s more fun in the Philippines” what we should use? Billionaire, innovation pioneer and former head of Apple, Steve Jobs, is oft quoted as shunning market research in favor of defining something that people do not yet know they want tomorrow and then helping them discover why they should want it today – market research simply tells you what people thought they wanted yesterday.
“It’s more fun in the Philippines” does not help people want anything – it is not a call to action – and too easily dismissed in the conscious mind as advertising blur. Also, consider that the slogan leaves the door open for another country to claim that, the Philippines may offer more fun but we offer “the most fun” . . . hello!
Finally, promoting a comparison within such a nebulous term as “fun”, opens so many doors to potential disappointment and negative commentary. Even the simple task of arriving in the Philippines is a potential minefield for negativity. Last year, visitors, arriving to join a sailing event in Puerto Galera, unfamiliar (as most first–timers are) with the geography of the country, advised me that they “had arrived in Manila airport from Singapore” and asked how to get transport to Puerto Galera. I told them I would telephone the Swagman Hotel and arrange an airport pick-up, “just watch for the Black & White Swagman shuttle bus . . . at which terminal are you now?”. Only then did we discover that they had arrived at Manila’s number two airport – Clark Field (50 miles North of Manila), with no shuttle bus service and no fun. The Singapore travel agent’s ignorance became the Philippine visitor’s challenge.
Perhaps the slogan should be “prepare, to have more fun in the Philippines”.
When I look at my potential travels around the Philippines the one thing that keeps coming back to me is the phrase, “it’s a real adventure”. Perhaps I read too many Biggles books as a child but every time I board a bus or a plane or set sail across a glistening bay, I just expect there is adventure out there waiting.
With stories of multiple hoards of pillaged Yamashita’s gold, mystical landscapes & seascapes, wrecks of Spanish galleons, spiritually–practicing indigenous peoples, tales of paranormal powers, rain–forest Viagra, places inhabited by mythical beings, the Philippines has all of the ingredients for a first class Indiana Jones adventure, complete with willing partners in need of rescue and simply glorious beaches where to relax when sought–after trophies are secured.
Would the slogan “Come, live the Philippine adventure” be too dramatic?
And let’s get real here . . . Philippine tourism infrastructure is not well prepared for the average sun–seeking, package–tour tourist, who is familiar with European or North American levels of organization. Apart from a growing network of domestic airline routes, which provide increasingly easy access to remote locations, the vacation experience can quickly become a disappointment unless you have sufficient advanced knowledge, allowing you to plan ahead and arrange transportation upon landing. Most overseas travel agents and tour operators do not have the information, and Philippine websites are notorious for being out of date and frequently inaccurate even if you can find them.
Even the new “its more fun in the Philippines” website embodies a lie. Has anyone stopped to think about how un–fun it would be to travel between the three promoted Philippine beauty spots – to get to/from the Banaue Rice Terraces, Donsol and Palawan. It would take almost a week of travel just to see these three, and with no energy left for fun.
Any promotional campaign should be targeted at a specific market sector. Internationally, the largest group of people, who are going to have most fun in the Philippines, are singles & couples with an upmarket backpacker budget who want to leverage that budget to its maximum potential. There is a smaller market in the Philippines for the very affluent, who will enjoy the “fun” of laying on that perfect white beach, being pampered to delusion in the seclusion of an El Nido, a Pearl Farm or an Amanpulo.
The very affluent will always come to the Philippines – you simply cannot find a more enjoyable way to spend mountains of cash in the tropics.
It is the single & couples with the upmarket backpacker budget that we need to interest, because they are great communicators and they will grow to become the very affluent in the future. Most of this market sector are sports–active, or at least they profess to be. The Philippines has adventure sports hotspots coming out of its ears:
scuba diving, sailing, caving (potholing, spelunking), mountain climbing, bungee-jumping, kite boarding, windsurfing, kayaking, paddle–boarding, surfing, skim boarding, wakeboarding, mountain biking, jet skiing, paraw racing, trekking, jungle survival training, bird–watching (twitching), cliff diving, deep water soloing, river tubing, rock climbing, white water rafting, game fishing, river–trekking, flying, gliding, parasailing, paragliding, rowing, hang gliding, para–motoring, zip–lining . . . what did I miss?
Snow. We don’t do snow.
So I’m thinking “Live for adventure? Do it in the Philippines” is the slogan that will attract the largest group of singles & couples with an upmarket backpacker budget.
And when you get bored with living the adventure, there is still always Boracay . . .
You still have to get people to their destination (where is the network of seaplane routes? promised for decades) but at least if you start them off with the idea that this is Indiana Jones country, then nobody will ever be disappointed.
It’s certainly more fun in the Philippines but its more . . . it’s one hell of an adventure worth living!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author – Martyn Willes – based upon his own experience and do not necessarily reflect the experience of all people. If you have other experiences you would like to share then email them to The Editor – philippines@getwet-asia.com – for possible inclusion here