Tourism Organization Holds 'Korean Tourism Promotion Event' in the Philippines... "Growing the Korean Visit Market with K-Culture"

Korea Tourism Promotion Fair Held in Manila from 1st to 3rd
Focused Promotion of Korean Travel Packages
Targeting 370,000 Filipino Visitors to Korea This Year

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are carrying out various activities to expand the Southeast Asian inbound tourism market in celebration of the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year.'

Crowds gathered at the Korea Travel Fiesta (9.2) venue.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The organization announced on the 4th that from the 1st to the 3rd (local time), it held the 'Korea Tourism Promotion Fair' and a Korean tourism promotional event respectively in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. More than 50,000 visitors participated in the events, proving the enthusiastic response.

On-site, promotional events were held to showcase the charm of K-culture such as Korea's winter tourism, performances, food, and wellness. The plan is to boost the mood for visiting Korea targeting the Christmas season, the peak overseas travel season in the Philippines.

At the MICE roadshow, a pre-event of the Korea Tourism Promotion Fair held on the 1st at the New World Makati Hotel in Manila, about 70 participants including four domestic local governments and Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs), 15 travel agencies, five ski resorts, and three performance industry representatives engaged in approximately 1,500 one-on-one consultations with about 170 local tourism industry officials.

On the 2nd and 3rd, the opening ceremony of the Korean tourism promotional event featured a congratulatory performance by Kylein, a popular Filipino star appointed as an honorary ambassador for Korean tourism, followed by showcase performances of 'Jump' and 'Doodle Pop' to promote the '2023 Welcome Daehangno' event scheduled for October.

A scene of B2B consultations taking place at the MICE Roadshow (9.1). [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

Lee Sang-hwa, the Korean Ambassador to the Philippines, explained, "With the opening of the Korean Visa Application Center in Manila last month, Filipino citizens can now conveniently prepare for trips to Korea," adding, "We expect tourism exchanges between the two countries to become more active."

The Korean tourism pavilion included a pop-up store utilizing the official Korean tourism character 'Kingdom Friends,' a 'K-Place Zone' promoting the charms of local tourism from three local governments?Gangwon, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk?a 'Winter Tourism Promotion Zone' featuring domestic ski resorts and the Korea Ski Resort Association, and a 'K-Food Zone' with aT Center and CJ CheilJedang, among others.

Various experiential programs were also operated, including joint promotion events for Korean inbound tourism products by major Philippine travel agencies, airline prize events, hanbok experience at the Korean Cultural Center, and four-cut photo booths.

Korea Tourism Organization Vice President Lee Jae-hwan delivering the opening speech at the MICE Roadshow (September 1).
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

Lee Jae-hwan, Vice President of the Korea Tourism Organization, emphasized, "The Philippines is an important market with rapid economic growth and a population of over 100 million," adding, "By July, about 170,000 Filipinos had visited Korea, which is about 61% recovery compared to the same period in 2019."

Vice President Lee continued, "With the spread of K-culture greatly increasing demand for travel to Korea, this event will serve as a turning point to capture demand during the winter peak season and boost the Korean tourism boom. We will do our best to ensure that the target of 370,000 Filipino tourists visiting Korea by the end of the year is achieved."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.