On the 29th of August 2014, nine national newspapers in the United Kingdom carried adverts that encouraged travel to The Philippines. The ad space, which will reach an audience of 20 million and is worth over hundreds of thousands of pounds, was given for free in support of Expedia.co.uk’s campaign ‘Travel That Matters’ to encourage tourism to The Philippines following the destruction of Typhoon Yolanda.
Dubbed the “Day of Influence”, the main advertisements in print are supplemented by online, mobile and tablet adverts. The ads are simple in themselves, featuring beautiful overhead shots of some of the country’s islands overlaid with white text that cheerfully proclaim some fast facts about The Philippines. All adverts promoted the website http://travelthatmatters.co.uk and the hashtag #travelthatmatters in addition to a competition in which one could win a luxury trip to The Philippines.
The ‘Travel That Matters’ campaign is a drive to encourage travel to The Philippines in the United Kingdom, but what distinguishes it from other tourism campaigns, is that the focus on the campaign is on the good travellers can do in addition to promoting awareness. There are approximately 2 million people working in tourism related jobs in The Philippines, accounting for 8% of the country’s workforce and the campaign aims to actively encourage the creation and sustainment of livelihoods.
The image of tranquil seas and lush islands displayed in full colour adverts is a stark change from when The Philippines hit international headlines at the end of 2013 when Typhoon Yolanda struck the country and decimated towns such as Tacloban, Leyte. Pictures of the destruction dominated the coverage, and as a result there was an outpouring of aid and support from all over the world. In February, billboards all over the world thanked the world for their support in a time of crisis. However the lingering impression was that of a country worn by natural disaster, and of a closed shop. Andy Washington, Managing Director Expedia UK said that “By coming together in this unique campaign, we hope to correct the misconceptions surrounding the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. When it comes to destination marketing, reputation and awareness are critical.”
The campaign has the support of The Philippine embassy in London. Richard de Villa, Sales and Promotions Officer at the Department of Tourism at the Philippines embassy said “Typhoon Haiyan had a tragic impact on tens of millions of people in the Philippines, but with over 7,107 islands, 97 percent of the country was actually unaffected.”
In addition to promoting awareness of the country, Expedia.co.uk has also pledged to donate to its charity partner, Habitat for Humanity for every booking to The Philippines made through its website. For every booking of 7 nights or more, Expedia.co.uk will donate £100 until the end of the year.
Travel That Matters comes hot on the heels of the start of the second phase of the ‘It’s More Fun In The Philippines’ campaign by the Department of Tourism and BBDO Guerrero. After the first phase established he identity of the country and Filipino stage, the second page showcases individual destinations, such as Boracay Island to further incentivise travel.
– Kimi Lim
