EDITORIAL - Branding Lapu-Lapu City

Cashing in on its reputation as a premier destination in the country, the government of Lapu-Lapu City has launched an ambitious program that would step up its campaign to draw more tourists.

Branding itself as a "Historic Resort City," Lapu-Lapu is setting a mark not just to establish an image to be an international tourism hub but to further increase the world's confidence in the city.

As many would see it, the program is just timely. It came at a time when many of the Philippine tourism rivals in Southeast Asia are diving toward a decline in arrivals for various reasons.

Although the Lapu-Lapu City government expects that the campaign will see a surge in tourist arrivals to the now "Historic Resort City," it remains to be seen whether it would succeed.

For one, other areas across the country have their own tourism programs that would directly compete with that of Lapu-Lapu City. In other words, there's no guarantee if the new brand will give the city an edge in a dog-eat-dog competition among tourism areas around the country.

However, the other side of the new brand would undoubtedly make Lapu-Lapu City simply a cut above the rest. That is because the program is not only aimed at improving the city's tourism image, but significantly reinforcing its drive to further draw more investments and individual talents as well.

As Mayor Paz Radaza announced during the launching of the event Friday night, "by branding our city, we hope to attract not just tourists and investors but great talents and creative minds."

The reason why Lapu-Lapu is experiencing a surge in investments nowadays is that it is now easy to do business in the city. In fact, as early as 2008, Lapu-Lapu is one of the cities around the country with best business practices.

As Lapu-Lapu embarks on another trailblazing journey, what lies ahead seems to be a tall order. But with the right promotion and marketing, the city could be well on its way to success.