Will Filipinos still bother to “go out” in this economy?
That was one question the Department of Tourism (DOT) still struggles to answer even as it launched yet another campaign to boost local tourism, particularly in Laguna province.
The recent Central Philippines Tourism Expo (CPTEx) held in Santa Rosa City, Laguna brought together stakeholders from the tourism industry, in a bid to encourage Filipinos to prioritize local tourist destinations.
The expo was held amid missed tourism targets, a sharp drop in international tourist destinations due to the recent conflict in the Middle East, and reports that Filipino tourists prefer foreign destinations as they are “more affordable” compared to local tourist spots.
New slogan
During the CPTEx, DOT officials unveiled a new campaign that aims to boost domestic tourism: “Discover More to Love.”
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the new campaign aims to promote destinations, provide Information and connect travelers with accredited tourism enterprises.
“We have created a shared platform which we hope will give travelers more choices while helping tourism enterprises, particularly those in emerging destinations, to attract more visitors throughout the year including least travel months,” Angara-Mathay shared in her message during the event.
However, she clarified that the current DOT campaign, “Love the Philippines,” will still be the official national tourism brand.
“’Discover More to Love’ is not a new brand. It is a domestic tourism campaign under that same brand, created to encourage Filipinos to explore more of our country and discover even more reasons to love the Philippines,” the DOT official said.
Much to discover
Local officials in Laguna province are also betting on the new DOT campaign to boost Laguna’s own prospects for local tourism.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Nathalie Velasquez, who represented the provincial government during the expo, touted Laguna’s proximity to Metro Manila and its rich historical, cultural and gastronomic heritages as its invaluable assets.
“One of the best things about Laguna is very simple. Malapit lang po tayo sa Manila, no long flights, no complicated itineraries,” Velasquez explained.
“But once you arrive, you will see that Laguna is not just near, Laguna is full. You can come here for food, you can come here for nature, history, culture, play, adventure, family bonding, wellness, or quiet weekend to breathe.”
The underlying realities
However, the fact remains that national and local government officials will still have a hard time trying to “sell” Laguna’s premiere tourist destinations to local tourists.
Experts have pointed out some of the reasons Filipino tourists actually prefer foreign destinations over local destinations is the so-called “affordability factor.”
Maria Gemima Valderrama, a columnist for the regional news website SunStar, underscored this in 2025 when she pointed out that “what may seem affordable to foreign tourists can be out of reach for local visitors.”
"For instance, a one-night hotel stay costing 100 US dollars [P6,142 at the current exchange rates] is expensive for the average Filipino traveler, and a meal priced at 10 US dollars [P614] per serving is expensive," she pointed out.
We actually don’t have to go beyond Laguna province to underscore this point.
A quick check by the OpinYon research team shows that the average prices of hotel rooms and resorts in Laguna range from P900 (for budget hotels) to over P15,000 (for top-rated destinations such as Caliraya in Lumban).
That's higher than the current minimum wage in Metro Manila, slated to rise to P780 by 2027.
Not to mention that hotel accommodations in the province are concentrated to the first and second districts, where there are already well-established tourist destinations – the Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa City, for instance, or the hot-spring resorts in Calamba City and Los Baños.
And let us consider that, given the recent crisis in the Middle East and record -high inflation rates (7.8 percent in April and 6.2 percent in May), Filipinos have decided to adjust to the sudden increase in oil prices through “staycations” – that is, staying home during the holidays instead of going on trips.
Tourism officials have long encouraged Filipinos to, to borrow an old campaign slogan, “huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan.”
Perhaps, in order to achieve that goal, we should adjust to the realities of our economy and stop treating Filipinos like foreigners.
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