It’s More Fun in the Philippines: DOT-Region 8 launches Summer Sa Samar tourism campaign
by Leony R. Garcia
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The Provincial Government of Samar through Governor Sharee Ann T. Tan, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism Regional Office No. 8, spearheads the campaign program called Summer Sa Samar. The main objectives of this project are:
1. Positioning the province as the next top tourist destination in the Phils.
2. Creating a unique brand for Samar given its rich heritage and culture, delectable local cuisines and abundant natural resources.
3. Building a new image sans the impressions of being insurgent, typhoon-prone, poorest of the poor province, etc.
4. Enhancing the sense of pride of places among the people in Eastern Visayas especially the Samarnons.
The Grand Launch of #summersasamar and #sparksamar on 18 April was held at the Samar Provincial Capitol Grounds in Catbalogan City starting at 3 pm, spearheaded by Gov. Tan, declaring summer a must-see destination in the Visayas region. Also presented are the new MTVs for Samar and brand image posters/tarpaulins presenting the best of summer destinations.
During the press conference, the governor revealed that the province has spent an initial fund of 10 million to promote the province. “It’s high time to showcase Samar. Typhoon Yolanda may have destruct some parts of our province but we still have our beautiful, natural resources intact which we want to share to our tourists both local and foreign,” she said.
During the grand celebration, the first in many years, the Samarnons showcased the cultural songs and dances, local cuisines and delicacies, fireworks display and Neon Street Party featuring Manila DJs Tom Taus and Kevin Ruiz and some local talents
The launch was followed by a 3-day Familiarization Tour on 19-21 April participated by LGU heads, representatives from both national and local media & bloggers, including the Philippine Showbiz Republic, to cover and do feature articles on the activities. Representatives from the national and local tour/travel operators as well as representatives from the DOT Marketing and Communications Office also joined the dam tour which cover the municipalities of Paranas, Sta. Rita, Basey and Marabut allowing the participants to visit and experience the tourism products in the province like the Ulot River’s Torpedo Boat Adventure, San Juanico Bridge, Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge & the Marabut Rock Islets and Seascape among others.
