New campaigns aim to spread travel spending beyond the usual destinations as the DOT explores both digital access and experience-led travel.
Domestic tourism has long been seen as an economic engine for local communities. The challenge has never been selling that idea, but finding better ways to spread the benefits beyond the country’s most established destinations.
Two recent initiatives involving the Department of Tourism (DOT) point to how that effort is evolving. One leans on storytelling and experience, while the other focuses on making travel planning easier through a centralized digital platform. Together, they show that attracting tourists is only one piece of the puzzle. The real opportunity is directing more travel spending toward places that rarely get it.
The more visible of the two is The Philippines by Foot, a campaign launched by Birkenstock in partnership with the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board. Rather than encouraging people to simply visit new places, the campaign invites Filipinos to experience destinations on foot, with community walks planned across different parts of the country.
There is also a branding strategy behind the initiative, but its tourism message stands on its own. By encouraging people to slow down and explore places on foot, the campaign pulls attention toward the journey itself instead of simply arriving at a destination. It argues that some destinations are meant to be experienced in a different way rather than simply visited.
Discover more to love
Another project from the DOT is the recently launched “Discover More to Love” campaign that tackles another challenge altogether.
While it also encourages Filipinos to explore places beyond the country’s usual tourist hotspots, its biggest move is the launch of tourism.gov.ph, a platform that brings together accredited tourism enterprises, travel packages, destination information, and booking options in one place. The agency has also partnered with airlines, hotels, tour operators, and fintech companies to make planning and paying for trips more convenient while helping travelers avoid scams.
For many small hotels, tour operators, transport providers, and tourism businesses outside the country’s biggest destinations, that could make a meaningful difference. Visibility has always been one of the industry’s biggest hurdles.
Travelers often return to places they already know, while smaller destinations struggle to compete for attention despite offering comparable experiences.
Whether a centralized platform can significantly change that remains to be seen.
Domestic travel decisions are influenced by convenience, as well as budget, transportation, available leave from work, and infrastructure. But the conversation around domestic tourism appears to be changing.
For years, campaigns largely focused on convincing Filipinos to see more of their own country. These newer efforts acknowledge that inspiration alone is rarely enough. People also need better ways to discover destinations, compare options, and feel confident enough to book.
That may ultimately be where the biggest opportunity lies. Yes, domestic tourism is about getting people to travel more. But it’s also about making sure more communities have a fair chance to benefit when they do.
Backed by a newly revamped centralized digital portal and grassroots walking campaigns, the Department of Tourism is weaponizing experience-led travel to ensure minor provincial economies capture their fair share of local travel spending.
