SEAIR unveils 'It's More Fun in the Philippines' campaign

MANILA, Philippines - South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) recently announced that it has teamed up with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote the Philippines across the region. The airline unveiled its campaign tie-up with the DOT during the Kadayawan Festival in Davao.

Starting August 2012, two brand-new SEAIR Airbus 320s will sport the tourism slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” on their fuselage. The planes will fly daily from Clark International Aiport to Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, and Kalibo – the gateway to the world’s favorite beach destination, Boracay.

“SEAIR has imbibed the spirit of the DOT campaign with the creative application of our new tourism slogan. It is the first airline in the Philippines to help spread the word that It’s more fun in the Philippines, and we congratulate SEAIR for taking the initiative to promote Philippine tourism in such a unique way,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said.

“With SEAIR’s daily regional flights, we are spreading the news that Philippines is where travel is at its best. The sights and sounds that our country has to offer are some of the best-kept secrets in the world and we are proud to be able to play a role in getting the word out and getting more travelers to experience all the things we have to offer!” said SEAIR CEO Patrick Tan.

SEAIR launched the campaign during the famed harvest festival in Davao called Kadayawan. The annual event is known for its colorful dances and parades which celebrates the natural abundance of the region and serves as a thanksgiving ritual by the locals to “Manama”or the Supreme Being. The airline offers two flights a day to the premier Mindanao hub from the Manila Domestic Airport, also known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 4.

DOT has granted SEAIR the right to use the popular campaign logo and slogan for the next three years.

“We will ensure that the fun begins when travelers first step onboard our flights for a seamless, comfortable, and safe journey to the Philippines via Clark,” added Tan.

As part of its international campaign, the DOT released a TV commercial in May via global media giant CNN featuring creative memes made and contributed by the public. It also rolled out banner ads on the iconic London black taxicabs, double-decker buses, and underground stations in the United Kingdom, which have been exposed to millions of visitors attending the Queen’s Jubilee last June and the recently-concluded Olympic games.

“We are grateful to have the support of the President and partner government agencies in ensuring that our tourism campaign will realize its goal to have more people around the world recognize the Philippines as the fun place to be. Tourism is all about optimism, confidence, and momentum. We are keenly aware that we will succeed only if we are able to rally the entire department, tourism stakeholders, government agencies, and the general public around a very simple idea: Tourism is the people’s business. We invite everybody to continue supporting our campaign and spreading the FUN,” Jimenez said.

This latest initiative is just one of the many “firsts” of the partner airline of Tiger Airways to boost tourism in the country. SEAIR and Tiger Airways recently announced that Tiger has completed the transaction to acquire a 40% stake in SEAIR. The investment is Tiger’s second venture in the South East Asia as part of its strategy for regional expansion.

SEAIR was the first carrier to operate out of Clark International Aiport and also among the first to put its trust and confidence in Clark Development Corporation. It was also the first airline to open tourism in northern Palawan, subsequently developing El Nido as a key destination. It has the longest history of uninterrupted flights to Caticlan, having served the gateway to one of the world’s top beach destinations, Boracay, for 17 years.

SEAIR is the first to offer “paradise to paradise routes” which linked Puerto Princesa, El Nido, and Boracay. It is the first airline to offer double daily flights to Batanes.