Safe Trips campaign launched virtually, aims to promote tourism by land
NISSAN has brought the media to the most unique places in the Philippines. And this has become some sort of expertise for the brand, so much so that the car maker has partnered with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote safe and responsible land travel to boost local tourism.
“We offer our expertise in marketing and our resources to enable to increase tourism in the country but fully considering the safety protocols set up by the government,” Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima said as he joined Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in a virtual press conference and contract signing last November 5.
“Safe Trips” is a campaign that will both educate and actually bring tourism to places in the country where strong health protocols are in place. One such place is Baguio, where the initial kick off for the campaign will happen. According to Najima, this selection was almost immediate seeing how Baguio has used technology (through a contact tracing app) and policy implementation for to manage both the spread of the COVID-19 virus as well as manage visitors to the city.
“Nissan’s vision is to enrich people’s lives by making their journeys safe, smart, and fun. We want to promote safe and responsible travels with our innovative and dependable vehicles, so that our customers can enjoy adventures with family and friends. Tourism has become a passion for Nissan in the Philippines over the years, which is why we are truly excited to partner with the Department of Tourism to promote the tourism sector towards its recovery,” Najima comments.
Under the campaign, Nissan and the DOT will develop educational and promotional content for social media and publicity on how to safely and responsibly travel to local tourist destinations. These include tips for land travel in the new normal, social distancing guides, health protocols for visiting specific destinations, and updates on the latest spots that have reopened for visitors.
“The DOT is committed to reviving the country’s tourism industry from the harsh impacts of the pandemic. We thank Nissan Philippines for being a partner in tourism recovery by promoting health and safety protocols for road trips. It is a timely effort as we have reopened Baguio City and Ilocos Norte to Luzon residents, both of which can be accessed by land travel,” Romulo-Puyat said.
Before the pandemic Nissan have launched and ran over 5 major test drives for media at the launch of several models. This included off-the-grid places such as the Ilocos Sand Dunes, Siquijor Island and Mt. Mayon. The knowledge in organization and deployment of these test drives will prove very useful coupled to additional learnings from safety protocols training which is part of the whole campaign.
It is also aimed at rebooting the local tourism industry that has been flattened buy the pandemic. The industry contributed 13 percent to the economy in 2019. Global tourism has also been heavily affected, as stricter travel restrictions were implemented to deter the spread of the virus.
“We hope that this campaign will encourage all Filipinos to practice safe and responsible travel as they return to local tourist spots and enjoy the beauty of our country,” Romulo-Puyat added.
In a survey conducted by the DOT, results showed that domestic leisure travel will be the main driver in the recovery of the tourism industry in the Philippines. With health and safety as the top priority of travelers, road trips via private vehicles were found to be the best way for domestic travel under the new normal.
“We thank Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat for taking on the challenge to revive the tourism sector. Your daring spirit to overcome the odds through perseverance and passion are values that Nissan shares and admires,” Najima concluded.
