By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, Nov 16 (PNA) — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has come up with a modest way of thanking foreign tourists for visiting the Philippines despite the recent typhoon ‘Yolanda’ which damaged a number of the country’s tourist sites.
In a number of airports in the country, foreign tourists who were set to return to their respective countries or travel elsewhere, were handed out with bookmarks by DOT staff thanking them for their “patience, support and understanding”.
“To all foreign guests and visitors, thank you very much for your patience, support and understanding storm Haiyan (Yolanda),” the bookmark indicated.
“We hope to see you again in your future travels. Have a safe trip. Mabuhay!” it further said.
DOT’s bookmark is colored white while its edges were decorated with the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” logo which is inspired by a colorful banig.
The banig on the logo is made to look like a handwoven Philippine map and can also appear like a picture-puzzle of digital pixels.
According to the DOT, it symbolizes Philippine history and the future, traditions and aspirations and just like the country’s fiestas, it is bright and colorful.
The DOT official Twitter account also retweeted some photos of travel blogger, known by the username “Roving Reporter” showing the Qantas Airways, a flag carrier of Australia, with a full line of tourists set to visit the Philippines.
Roving Reporter has a website called inmytincan.com which is run by Australian travel writers, Mark Harada and Gaya Avery. (PNA)