MEDIA RELEASE

PHILIPPINE TOURISM DESTINATIONS FEATURED ON T-SHIRTS IN RUSSIA

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has partnered with Russias largest apparel
retailer, SELA, on retail fashion advertising of Philippine tourism destinations in Russia.
A T-shirt collection, called Inspired by the Philippines, features six designs on the Philippines,
Manila, Cebu, Bohol, and Siargao, and is presently being sold in 400 SELA stores in 200 cities
in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgistan, Ukraine and Belarus, and on the SELA online shopping
website.
DOT Assistant Secretary Arturo Boncato, Jr., who represented the DOT at the Moscow launch
of the Philippine T-shirt collection of SELA , explains that the concept of using T-shirts as
walking billboard advertising for the Philippines in a huge country like Russia came from
Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, jr.

The six-piece fashion line consists of T-shirts for

men, women, and children, and are complemented with Philippine-made fashion accessories,
like bags,bracelets and fashion jewelry. The Russians are very fond of fashion.

Using

T-shirts for advertising Philippine tourism destinations is an effective way to establish the
Philippine brand in the Russian markets consciousness. It is a fast way for product awareness
and name recall, particularly among the young travellers.
According to DOT Director Verna Buensuceso, who handles the Russian market for DOT,
the average age of the Russian tourists to the Philippines is 36 years of age and most of
them are professionals, who come with their spouses and children. They visit the Philippines
for leisure and they prefer beach holidays, sightseeing, shopping, and scuba-diving as tourism
activities.

80% of the time, it is the women who make the decision on the choice of holiday

destination for the Russian family.

The country received only 35,378 Russian visitors in 2015, but this market is steadily growing
at a rate of 6.5%. The partnership with SELA is a DOT marketing effort towards expanding this
market .
The SELA group is one of the largest apparel retailers in the Russian Federation and the
Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS) and , for the last 20 years, has offered a full
assortment of trendy, stylish, and high-quality but affordable casual wear for kids, teenagers
and adults.

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CONTACT: Ms. Jazmin Esguerra
Director, Media and Communication Services
jcesguerra@tourism.gov.ph