Coloma urges use of social media to promote tourism

By Carlito C. Dar

BAGUIO CITY  -- Around 45 million Filipinos nowadays  use social media, and this can be effectively used to promote  tourism destinations and products in the country and make the Philippines prime destination in Asia Pacific.

Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma bared this here in a speech delivered by Assistant Secretary Cathryne Jonne Licudine, during recent the Amianan Tourism Forum here.

Coloma said 45 percent of Filipinos have internet connections and maintain social media account such as Facebook and Twitter.

Given the current population of 100 million, he said this translates to 45 million Internet-user Filipinos.

He said Filipinos ranked number one in uploading photos online with 86.4 percent of those using Internet uploading  photos online.  

“Consciously or unconsciously, they are  aiding in the promotion of the Philippines every time they post a picture of places in the country that they have visited  as with social media, we are engaging into real time interactive communication with all the other internet users in the country and around the world.”

He said  “if each of the 45 million online Filipinos does this positively and effectively, we can really show the world that    it is indeed More Fun in the Philippines as the tourism department slogan says,  since  social communication has the multiplier effect that happens so fast that when information circulates people engage each other in meaningful conversations.”

He said this would help achieve at faster pace the country’s vision of having 37 million domestic tourists and 10 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2016.

Coloma also said the country has achieved 7.8 percent increase in Gross Domestic Products or GDP with tourism indicators such as hotel and restaurant, and recreation  contributing 2.5 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

The  Amianan Tourism Forum, which was attended by the  Tourism regional offices,  local government tourism officers and other stakeholders in regions 1 and Cordillera, was  part of the “Sabsabong Ti Mayo”, the culminating event for Baguio City’s SumVac (Summer Vacation) 2013  spearheaded by the Baguio City Tourism Council.