After the press launch last November 5, the Safe Trips campaign partnership between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Japanese automaker Nissan took the road with three content creators to rediscover Baguio City.
The Safe Trips campaign supports the recovery of the country’s tourism industry by promoting safe and responsible land travel to local destinations that have reopened from the community quarantines.
From November 13 to 15, Nissan took media and influencers on a road trip to Baguio City to educate travelers on how to explore the city’s reopened attractions while following its health and safety guidelines. The “Summer Capital of the Philippines” is one of the first tourist destinations that have started opening up for local tourists.
In the three-day road trip, motoring journalists including Angel Rivero, Vince Pornelos, and TV personality Anton Roxas took the opportunity to visit some of Baguio City’s signature tourist spots including Burnham Park, Session Road, the Baguio Botanical Garden, and Mines View Park.
All tourists entering Baguio City are required to register and submit their application to log in the Baguio Visitor Information and Travel Assistance (VISITA) online platform. Run by the Baguio City government and funded by the Tourism Promotions Board, tourists can register, schedule and plan their visit to the city through the website. The platform also provides contract tracing functions for the city, wherein Baguio City also implements guidelines for wearing face masks and face shields, as well as for observing social distancing.
Under the Safe Trips campaign, Nissan and the DOT will develop educational and promotional content for social media, as well as publicity on how to safely and responsibly travel to local tourist destinations. Such content include tips for land travel in the new normal, social distancing guides, health protocols for visiting specific destinations, and updates on the latest spots that have reopened for visitors.
“With the Safe Trips campaign, we hope to spark a renewed interest in travel by encouraging road trips, one of the oldest and most memorable ways of seeing and exploring the beauty of the Philippines. With more and more people travelling locally, we look forward to the recovery of livelihoods and jobs in the tourism sector,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
“Baguio City is the best place to start the Safe Trips campaign to rebuild trust and confidence of Filipinos on travelling in the country again. We at Nissan want to take Filipinos on this journey to rediscover Baguio City and share how to travel safely and responsibly in this new normal. We look forward to exploring other local destinations as more cities reopen and to encouraging Filipinos to plan their own Safe Trips through land travel,” President and Managing Director for Nissan in the Philippines Atsushi Najima said.