Tourism Prospects Soar as "Behold Bohol" Launched

Governor Edgar Chatto and tourism officials shared their excitement over the "Behold Bohol" launch as they top billed the internal launching of the new brand at the Bohol Tropics.

The launching came a week after Bohol hosted the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) conferences despite the threat of terrorists over 60 kilometers north of the meetings in Panglao.

In fact, tourism stakeholders see more promise as ASEAN organizers assured that more ASEAN meetings are set for Bohol following the initial success.

Behold Bohol is a new aggressive campaign to push Bohol into the tourism map years after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the island.

Bohol Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) Chair Atty. Lucas Nunag said the new brand is a product of the joint efforts of both government and private sector tourism stakeholders of the province.

Working with the technical assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Tourism (DOT), United nations World Tourism Office (UNWTO) and CNN International, Bohol stakeholders put up a brand that is easy to recall and associate with, Nunag said.

The Behold Bohol slogan comes with a new logo which Governor Edgar Chatto, through Executive Order No. 19, series of 2016, ordered to become affixed in all official stationeries from Bohol-based national government agencies, Provincial Government Offices, tourism establishments, and tourism-related service providers.

The order also includes the use of the logo and slogan for prominent display in all promotional materials, tarpaulins, and billboards as a unified strategy to attract and intensify Bohol promotions as eco-cultural tourism destination at par with the world.

Adopted then as new tourism catch, Behold Bohol logo embodies a stylized rendition of the world-renowned Chocolate Hills and tarsier, the primary signature of the province.

It is also expressed in the warm colors and natural gentle and graceful lines reflecting the unique attraction, peace and atmosphere of the place, the culture and character of the Boholanos as hospitable, friendly and creative.

On the other hand, the new slogan Behold Bohol expresses the essence in a manner that is simple, captivating and inviting, and which means urging people to see impressive Bohol and its people.

Thomas Ridenour also shared his "TarShare" Behold Bohol mobile apps for guests.

"Bohol has so much to offer, and backpackers who have downloaded the apps have extended their stay, despite initially thinking that Bohol is just some two or three destinations," Ridenour said.

The app features 150 destinations and basic information a tourist would want to know.

The information can be accessed even when the user is offline.

"This is not just about helping visitors, this is also about helping everyone," said Ritenour.

He was a tourist passing by Bohol when a storm left him and his wife stranded in Jagna.

He said the community fed them and kept them warm for a week, thus, the apps, which is available in five languages, is his way of paying back.

Also launched during the noontime event were the Bohol brands Video and Jingle and the Behold Bohol mobile application.

Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operations Officer Cesar Montano, who was at the launch, also shared a preview of a TPB of the DOT project called "Film it in a Minute."

A program TPB with the Film Development Academy of the Philippines, Montano said any tourist can film their tourism in Bohol story for a minute and send it to TPB, and they could win their dream tourism vacations.

"We are confident that this new brand will help strengthen Bohol's position as a prime eco-cultural tourism destination, not only in our country but also in the ASEAN region," Nunag said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)/Rey Anthony H. Chiu