Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!
Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.
More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!
Department of Tourism Secretary: Ramon Jimenez, Jr.
PNoy made the announcement for the replacement of resigned Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, the "backpacker-hater" afflicted with delusion on open skies as solution to PH's lack of tourist numbers, is now a marketing executive in the person of Ramon Jimenez, Jr.
With Alberto Lim, a really able businessman whose skills should've been put to use in other departments but not the DOT, out of the picture, would Ramon Jimenez really do well as tourism chief? Part of Sec. Alberto Lim's "achievements" are the ignominious tourism logo (copied from Polka's own logo), the Pilipinas Kayganda fiasco, the delusion but later proven inutile assertion that open skies policy will bring in busloads of tourists but was approved and seemed like nothing happened.
Of course, Tutubi remembers him as generalizing backpackers leave waste anywhere they go.
For Sec. Ramon Jimenez, Tutubi hopes he fixes the DOT website first to be really informative, not just copy/pasted articles or written by copywriters who've never been to the places advertised. (Thank God there are bloggers who post updated information.)
Tutubi is also cynical of marketing guys, they usually don't adhere to the "truth in advertising" of PANA particularly larger than life detergent and skin whitening products. Marketing guys also put form before function and don't focus on the product. Tutubi believes even without a marketing genius, tourists will flock to the Philippines by word of mouth (or likes) if peace and order, infrastructure and readily available information and protection of environment can be developed and put in place.
Tutubi gives hims the benefit of the doubt though and wait til he opens his mouth on his plans for tourism development.
You're right on with your assessment of the past DOT secretary, and the present (hopefully near future ex-)DOT secretary Jimenez. Their competencies in tourism are past their sell by date. What the country needs is an apolitical professional destination management professional who understands tourism on a macro level, can organize, develop AND market the industry. They should start first with a strategy, research, market segmentation, product innovations (I don't mean making mountains nor building more casinos, creating disney style attractions nor repainting heritage sites with day glo colours), distribution channels, e.g. internet (80% of travel buyers), understand buying motivation, etc etc before they can even plan an advertising campaign. They should also know how to READ, ANALYSE,INTERPRET tourism stats esp in relation to other countries.
What do you say to someone who says, "oh tourists will forget this after 3 months" right on tv while the hostage massacre was going on? Or "selling the Philippines is as easy as selling chicken joy."? Or who has absolutely no clue who the "backpackers" are (the majority don't do "hippy" at all). There must be a better word than DUH!.
sand wind and stars, tutubi is dragonfly. i just hope tourists will also come here, even if they're not aware of jollibee. PNoy needs to be properly advised on the problems of tourism, he also thinks simple slogans and ads can lure them here, such delusion!
Sand, Wind & Stars said...
said...
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