The issue of tourism

OK, let's take a break from analyzing the ins and outs of my life, and talk about something on a national scale. I got inspired to write this post after seeing a barrage of really hopeful messages and quips all around cyberspace, about the newly installed tourism secretary. Many are optimistic about his appointment because he's a marketing man, an ad man, a communications man. I get it. After the fiasco over the last tourism campaign (a truly embarrassing endeavor), I understand why this new secretary has electrified people and gotten them excited. Yes, we have a good marketing man at the helm. But, frankly speaking, SO WHAT?!

Sad to say, and this may be ironic coming from a marketing person, but I sincerely believe that marketing is not the solution to a political problem. And tourism is nothing but a POLITICAL problem, first and foremost. People have NO idea what sort of political mess our tourism department is knee-deep in. Do you know the many agencies who have a stake in the airport, for instance? A different agency takes care of immigration, another for customs, another for the travel tax, another for airport operations, another to interface with the airlines, and so on and so forth. So to even be able to draft a concrete plan to fix the airport means convening a group of probably a hundred people. That's not a marketing problem. It's a f*cking HUGE political problem.

Also, people think that all we need is a communication campaign, a good slogan and maybe a jingle or an endorser to get tourists come flocking back. Again, this is SOOOO foolish. It's the product that's lacking, guys. It's the poor police system, whereby tourists are not protected from the Abu Sayyaf, pickpockets, or even the shady customs people. It's the lack of proper facilities and amenities. It's the broken roads, the broken traffic lights, the traffic that pops out whenever a little sprinkling of rain drops from the sky, the lack of an efficient transportation system, and many many more "lacking" things that make our product SUCK. And no amount of communication will distract tourists from those issues. C'mon, people, advertising cannot help a bad product. And for as long as we don't fix the root cause of the problem, believe me, the tourists will not come flocking in droves.

Some say, how come Thailand or Vietnam have more tourists than us when they're just as poor? Firstly, they're not "just as poor". Secondly, they have a proper tourism system that enables tourists to get in touch with authorities right away. Also, have you encountered Thai police? They're very professional, not at all like our not-so-trusty cops here. They may not have a rich country, but their tourism system works. And just like many of our other systems here, our tourism machinery is so bogged down it can hardly stand up at all.

I'm not saying we're doomed as a tourism spot. Far from it. I do dream of the day when the overall Philippine tourism system is in place and is something to shout to the world about. But let's please put in proper perspective what the problem really is, guys. We need new laws to create the proper (united) body to govern all things tourism-related. We need good infrastructure, and not just in the airports. We need to solve the political problem, before we come up with a comm brief and talk to agencies about a campaign. That's like saying we can sell a bad cake using really good icing. It's just not the way it works. The tail cannot wag the dog.

I hope Mr. Jimenez has a bigger take on his job scope, not merely the communication part. Again, as I also told my class before, marketing is not the solution to a political problem. Look at how Noynoy was voted in purely because of marketing. Look where that got us, because people bought into the communication idea and not the actual, real, true-blue PRODUCT. You end up with disappointment. We don't want that for our tourists. We don't want them getting lured by a great campaign, only to have a huge WTF moment when they land here. Marketing and advertising can be really convincing, I will attest to that. But to put more teeth into whatever brilliant communication plan, we need to look deep into our RTBs (reason to believe - an advertising concept) and be honest about what we can deliver and where we fall (very) short.

The other issue I find with Mr Jimenez's appointment is the fact that he's not a political player. Not that I don't find him refreshing, because I do, and I do hope he does a good job in spite of his lack of political experience. BUT BUT BUT I also know enough about our government system (through my husband) to know that the system can bog down even the most honest and well-meaning official. Corruption is systemic. The government-style thinking riddled with procrastination, 'what's in it for me' attitude and "makisama ka" way WILL NOT bend for Secretary Jimenez. He will have to work with it, or around it, and that's a herculean task. I hope he finds very good and very adept people to work under him; otherwise, I'm afraid his plans may just remain good on paper.

I do hope he succeeds. I guess that one, we'll have to wait and see.

Bow.