Korean tourists seen to hit 1.4 M this year

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Tourism (DOT) expressed confidence that the country would hit its 1.4 million target arrivals from Korea this year, banking on the improved accessibility and capacity of the Philippines to accommodate more tourists.

Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) deputy chief operations officer Maricon Ebron said the rise in infrastructure and accommodation investments, as well as the increased connectivity to the destinations, would drive the growth in Korean arrivals.

She added that the TPB and the DOT’s intensified presence in Korea, through business missions and digital campaigns, would also help boost tourist arrivals from that country.

 However, Ebron said there was a need to keep up with the changing demands of the Korean market in order to sustain this growth in the long run.

“To retain strong growth for Korean arrivals in the future, we should diversify the market and develop new destinations. We have to create attractive programs and activities to lure the market,” she said.

The DOT said  it was pursuing a more aggressive tourism campaign in Korea to accommodate the shift in demand in the country’s top source market for tourism.

 “While it is reassuring to note that more than a million Koreans continue to flock the Philippines annually, new and complex outbound market segments and trends are also on the rise,” Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said.

“We are eager to stay ahead of the game by relentlessly pushing our country’s tourism industry to be responsive to the ever-changing demands of the Korean travel market,” she added.

The tourism chief recently sent a delegation to Seoul for a one-day business mission to ensure stronger marketing and promotional efforts in the city.

 According to Liliosa Libosada, DOT’s officer-in-charge in Korea, the delegation consisted of 63 representatives from 42 private sector companies, including airlines, tour operators, and hotels and resorts.

A total of 200 travel agents from Seoul and nine officials from the Korean government were also invited for one-on-one meetings and business presentations.