The surest way to a Japanese tourist’s heart

TOKYO, Japan – Is the way to a Japanese tourist’s heart through her back and stomach? Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano certainly thinks so. Massage and food were the Philippine pavilion’s big draws at the recently concluded World Expo 2005 in Aichi, and spas and fine dining figure prominently in the Department of Tourism’s strategy for capturing a bigger share of the Japanese outbound market.

Philippine National Day last Sept. 20 capped the DOT’s triumphant run at the Expo. "It’s generated for the Philippines tremendous publicity to millions of Japanese who’ve visited the pavilion in the last six months," Durano says. "We expect bigger increases in Japanese arrivals in the months to come."

Cultural troupes from all over the country, including Dumaguete’s Yagyag, Batangas’s Sining Kumintang and Manila’s own Ballet Philippines and Street Boys, performed two shows to capacity audiences at the 3,000-seat Expo Dome, earning a standing ovation from the normally reticent Japanese.

Expo chairman Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda affirmed, "The Philippines boasts a beautiful land and water combination, and is attracting popularity through its traditional massage, hilot."

Flush with success, Durano traveled from Nagoya to Tokyo for the JATA World Tourism Congress and Travel Fair, still intent on his purpose of creating an enticing new image for the Philippines.

‘KOKO DOKO’

Durano and the DOT aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket. To attract inbound travelers to the Philippines, Japan is being approached from many angles, with a multi-pronged campaign. One is "Koko Doko," a long-term marketing campaign the DOT commissioned this year from a Japanese PR firm.

"Koko doko is a common Japanese expression that means ‘Where is this?’" says Durano. "It promotes a strong brand image for the country as ‘Premium Resort Islands’ with high-class beach destinations."

Ads will appear on Japanese TV, in newspapers and magazines, creating greater visibility at the mass-market level rather than just being shown on CNN or the BBC.

Viewers and readers will see images of beautiful beaches, while Manila and Cebu will be touted as major attractions that offer high-class resort life.

Manila will be pitched as a "city resort" with modern urban attractions like shopping, gourmet dining, world-class amenities and health-and-wellness facilities.

Manila as a resort? While locals might not see the appeal, Durano is optimistic. "We have a different character than Tokyo or Seoul; we have an appeal," he says. "If we are like them, they won’t come to us. That’s what tourism is about – experiences." (In fact, the number of Japanese tourists has been on the increase in Manila.)

Cebu will be showcased as an "island resort" with five-star accommodations, beautiful beaches, water sports like snorkeling, diving, and island hopping, coupled with urban attractions.

A Different Kind Of Japanese Occupation

At the JATA Travel Fair in Tokyo, Durano launched another campaign, "An Island In Your Name," together with Vice Mayor Teofilo Humilde, Jr. of Alaminos, Pangasinan.

"Can you imagine one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines named Tanaka, Inoue, or even Koizumi?" Durano asked.

In cooperation with PAL and HIS, one of the top travel wholesalers in Japan (which specializes in attention-grabbing promotions with prizes like moon soil or diamonds worth two million yen), 25 Japanese travelers who buy tour packages to the Philippines will get a chance to have one of the Hundred Islands in Alaminos named after them for a year. Winners will get a special certificate, a trip to view the island with family and accommodations in a floating villa.

"The Philippines’ advantages are its close proximity, unique hospitality , spa resorts and an environment conducive to the comfort of tourists," said Akira Hiyabayashi of HSI Co. Ltd. "New hotels are springing up and there’s a diversity of offerings."

With promotions like these, the DOT would like to distance the Philippines as much as possible from its previous image as a place for middle-aged Japanese men. Forget the stigma of "sex tours" or "Pinoy brides." Forget the additional slump caused by international travel wholesalers not selling tour packages of the Philippines ("If they don’t, you don’t exist.") After careful study, the DOT is filling the void caused by a lack of knowledge with positive information about our beaches and warm hospitality. They’re also eyeing a completely different market.

A Place Of Beauty, Health & Wellness

Another reason for the Japanese to head to the Philippines: a new trend called "health tourism."

"Now we’re targeting young Japanese women between 20 to 30, who live at home and have disposable income," Durano says.

The new focus will be on beauty, shopping, health and wellness. Traditional massage, which was crucial to the Philippines’ success at the World Expo, was once again offered at the Philippine booth at the JATA Fair, promoting high-end spas like The Farm in San Benito, Batangas; Chi Spa in Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu; and the Mandarin Oriental Spa right here in Manila – ritzier places the Japanese can well afford.

"They spend between $20 and $90 a day in the Philippines, much more than they spend in other countries like Indonesia or Malaysia," notes Durano.

At the travel fair, Rustan’s Essenses set up a beauty counter within the Philippine booth, offering free makeovers using top brands like NARS and Laura Mercier. A peek at the registration log showed that both the massage and makeup services were fully booked. In total, 50 private companies were represented at the fair, drumming up business and the numbers the DOT is expecting.

"Right now we get 280,000 Japanese tourists a year," Durano says. "We’re aiming for half a million by 2007, and a million by 2010." Five billion dollars in tourism overall.

But do we actually have the infrastructure to accommodate such a surge in tourism?

"The big challenge is room capacity right now," he says, claiming that peace and order and constant political turmoil have never been issues. (Durano admits to preparing himself for questions about the current controversy surrounding President Arroyo, but the subject never came up.) "We need 35,000 rooms by 2010."

It’s nice to hear this kind of optimism about the Philippine economy, especially nowadays.

"We’re a multi-attraction destination: food, entertainment and services are cheap," explains Durano. "The only way to lower prices is building more rooms. Our competitiveness is in the service industry, and one is tourism."

Ram Antonio, former Undersecretary of Tourism and now a consultant for the DOT, adds, "If you asked me a few years ago, I would have said there was not enough infrastructure to accommodate more tourists, but now, without us telling them, hotel and resort owners are expanding and building more rooms to meet the demand. Properties sold in Boracay are gone in a week."

And that’s not the only tourists the DOT is trying to court. This year, the Tourism agency is most excited about Korea, China and Japan because of the volume they will bring in. (Koreans tend to be honeymooners and big groups, including families. Chinese are first-time travelers who want to see everything, now that they’re allowed to leave the mainland.) Next year, the DOT has its sights set on India, the Middle East, and Russia, especially nouveau-riche travelers from oil-rich Northern Russia.

Back at the Expo Dome, the crowd waited restively while a sound problem kicked in during a performance of Bayan Ko and the Street Boys. After a few minutes, it was clear that the high-tech system would have to go unplugged. No matter: the Pinoy group sprang onto the stage behind a stylized Filipino flag; two members somersaulted to the front. No music, just counting time with their movements and body percussion. In some ways, it was even more moving without the music. Here you could see the excellence of the Pinoy – something so easy to forget on our home turf – bringing tears to many Japanese eyes.

Even if the high technology of futuristic Japan at times fails them, the creativity, improvisational spirit and artistic soul of the Pinoy will never fail him.