WATCH: ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ takes over London railway station

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) took over the London Waterloo station from April 24 to May 23 to invite Londoners to come over to the Philippines and experience its wondrous sights for themselves. This is part of the agency’s “Station Domination” project.

Given that Waterloo is a railway station and is part of the British capital’s intricate Underground system (or subway), it’s a very opportune location with all its foot traffic. Plus, the campaign’s run was in time for the London Marathon.

The tourism agency bedecked Waterloo with banners and floor stickers emblazoned with “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” and flashed images of the country’s natural wonders and more on the video screens.

The project was also an immersive experience. The station’s travelers posed for pictures, for example, with a paddle board against a backdrop photo of the crystal clear waters of Coron, Palawan. There were even virtual reality goggles for passers-by to get a glimpse of the country in 360 degrees.

Of course, those who engaged with the installations also got chances to win trips to the country.

“The whole thing is branded as [the] Philippines, so that in itself gives the an island feeling. Now, it’s very cold, so they want to have this feel of [the] islands.” said Gerard Panga, Tourism Attache & Director for the Northern and Southern Europe Philippine embassy, in the video.

“When you just see something fleetingly on the TV or in [an advertisement] in the paper, it’s easy to brush it past, whereas if you actually feel that you’ve actually gone to the island before you go, you actually want to experience it for real,” said one traveler.

Another passer-by, who has already traveled to the Philippines, said, “Seeing the pictures of the other islands that I didn’t get to go to make me want to go back so badly.”

The Philippine DOT in London said in its YouTube caption that the campaign reached around 8.4 million commuters and 1.2 million Facebook users.

According to the Philippine Star, the next stop for the “Station Domination” project in London will be in King’s Cross Station. – Rappler.com

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