The best advertisement money can’t buy

Countries spend fortunes on tourism campaigns hoping a few seconds of footage will stick in a traveler’s mind. Hosting the ASEAN Summit gives the Philippines something better: thousands of visitors who will see the country for themselves, and international media who will show it to millions more.

The immediate gains are easy to count. Hotels fill up. Restaurants serve extra covers. Tour operators, drivers and guides get bookings. Delegates who arrive early or stay a few days longer spend on shopping, food and side trips. Money circulates through the local economy fast.

The longer gain is harder to measure but more valuable. Every delegate, journalist and business visitor leaves with an impression. If that impression is of a warm, capable, well-organized host, the Philippines moves up the list of places to vacation, hold a conference, or invest. Meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions tourism is a high-spending segment, and a successful

Summit is the strongest possible pitch for it.

The administration deserves credit for treating the Summit as a national showcase and coordinating with local governments and the private sector to get it right. The details matter: smooth airport arrivals, clean streets, reliable transport, friendly service.

There is a role here for every Filipino. Hospitality has always been our strongest brand. The government has opened the stage. It is up to all of us to make sure the world remembers what it saw.