Nine national newspapers are offering free advertising today in support of a campaign by Expedia.co.uk to encourage tourism to the Philippines following the destruction caused by last year’s Typhoon Haiyan.
Expedia teams up with national newspapers for Philippines campaign
Nine national newspapers are offering free advertising today in support of a campaign by Expedia.co.uk to encourage tourism to the Philippines following the destruction caused by last year’s Typhoon Haiyan.
The so-called Day of Influence activity, worth more than £600,000, will reach an audience of 20 million people through print, online, tablet and mobile.
The aim is to drive tourism to the Philippines and help correct misconceptions that the country is out of bounds for holidaymakers.
Expedia is running a series of initiatives to drive awareness of the country, including hosting bloggers on visits and working with the Philippines Department of Tourism to communicate that the country is welcoming visitors.
Consumers will also be able to make a difference as Expedia.co.uk pledges to donate £100 to charity partner, Habitat for Humanity’s work in the Philippines, for every flight and hotel booking of seven nights or more made to the Philippines on Expedia.co.uk until the end of the year.
Managing director Andy Washington said: “By coming together in this unique campaign, we hope to correct the misconceptions surrounding the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan.
“When it comes to destination marketing, reputation and awareness are critical. This is why we are showing people first hand, through TravelThatMatters.co.uk and the multi-platform newsbrand campaign that the Philippines is open for business and welcoming visitors.
“Following work with tourism boards such as New Orleans and Japan after they faced natural disasters, we know the impact that supporting tourism can have on a destination’s economic recovery.”
He added: “Whilst people can help simply by travelling to the Philippines, we are also extremely happy to be able to support rebuilding in the Philippines by partnering with Habitat for Humanity and donating to their effort.”
Richard de Villa, sales and promotions officer at the Department of Tourism at the Philippines embassy, said: “Typhoon Haiyan had a tragic impact on tens of millions of people in the Philippines, but with over 7,107 islands, 97% of the country was actually unaffected.
“The Day of Influence is extremely beneficial to our efforts to promote tourism and will continue to show that the country is always welcoming visitors.”
