Tourism board asked to fund P7-M Baguio rebranding

Tidying up. Government gardeners have been busy sprucing up Burnham Park, one of the most visited destinations in the summer capital. For the past five months, the pek had been empty due to restrictions on movement imposed by the coronavirus quarantine. PHOTOS BY VINCENT CABREZA

BAGUIO CITY –– A dedicated online system for marketing new weaving designs of displaced artisans and a digital system keeping guests safe are the key features of a promotional plan to show Baguio as a haven during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Baguio rebranding plan, which includes 8-minute “webisodes” showing how residents and businesses dealt with the pandemic, requires P7 million, according to a funding proposal sent to the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

Unlike other businesses, accommodation facilities like hotels and inns are restricted to a 50-percent operating capacity because the modified general community quarantine, which has been extended until July 15, still prohibits tourists from entering Baguio.

Tourism remains the city’s last priority as it eases restrictions on the movement of residents, workers, and traders to help acclimatize them to quarantine routines.

But the private sector-led Baguio Tourism Council (BTC) said it would start online promotions from July to September to get back trust in the city’s safety while setting up a digital infrastructure.

The move would allow the city to keep track of visitors when they are finally allowed entry, according to the BTC.

No tourists

“With domestic tourists as its main source of tourist gross receipts, Baguio would be (unable to draw back) 540,000 guests based on the check-in data of 299 hotels from February to May last year,” the TPB said.

It said tourist arrivals dipped by almost 80 percent in February when the Panagbenga Flower Festival was canceled and practically no visitors were allowed between April and May.

“This may mean a minimum of P1.47 billion loss in potential gross tourist receipts during this season,” said the BTC.

‘Angat Baguio’

Last month, the BTC commissioned a theme song, “Maghihilom at Babangon Muli (We heal so we can rise again),” for an initial campaign called “Angat Baguio (Baguio Revives)” to encourage community recovery and resilience.

With the help of artists and agencies like the Department of Tourism, the BTC is also producing a “24-minute documentary film on how the pandemic affected tourism in the region.”

For the city’s artisan community, the BTC said it would build “a safe and convenient digital platform that would become the norm and standard in contactless, safe and convenient promotions and business transactions.”

It said virtual tourism would also be at play, allowing consumers to have sustained access to Baguio arts and crafts.

In line with this project, the city tourism sector will encourage fashion designers, jewelry manufacturers, weavers, and craftsmen to generate new designs and products that will be marketed through the digital platform.