As rebrands go, the southern islands of the Philippines face what has to be among the toughest challenges. For a long time, these jungled islands were known as sites of war between the Philippine military and Muslim Moro insurgents, including several radical groups that carried out kidnappings, beheadings, and bombings in the name of the Islamic State.
Both the national and provincial governments have lent their support, investing tens of millions of dollars to build roads, upgrade ports and incentivize more commercial flights to the islands.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who has made attracting more Muslim tourists a key priority, said last year that she had visited the 'beautiful province' of Tawi-Tawi. 'I am very pleased to inform you that they are ready for tourism,' she reported in the capital Manila.
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