taxis go 'tropical'

Isn't it always drizzling in London? Well, the sight of tropical fauna and the stuff of fiestas won't bring the rains to a halt but they would make for nice scenery to contrast the dull weather -- not to mention, give our country's tourism a boost. For six months, the fleet of taxis will be roaming the British capital through a partnership between the Philippines' Dept. of Tourism and Taxi Promotions UK.

The following is on today's PDI front page:

London cabs showcase best of 'WOW Philippines'
First posted 05:54am (Mla time) Oct 09, 2005
By Volt Contreras
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the October 9, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE "WOW Philippines" tourism campaign has found a new vehicle, literally.

Up to 50 taxicabs in London have shed off their familiar all-black coat in favor of an eye-catching design depicting Philippine leisure attractions and cultural icons.

For the next six months, the fleet will cruise the city and double as mobile advertisements for the "Wow" brand name, flashing fiesta colors in the usually drizzly and overcast street scenes of the British capital.

A Department of Foreign Affairs statement on the new tourism campaign would give one an idea of what commuters would see on a normal day in London.

Each taxi sports a wraparound photomontage of a tropical paradise: Diving spots and water sports, sailboats, white sand beaches and an island sunset, golf courses, as well as specific Filipiniana images like the Masskara Festival of Bacolod, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, the Banaue Rice Terraces and a Filipino woman in ethnic dress.

You can read more here