[New Big Spenders, Southeast Asia]② "Philippines Travel Bucket List 'Korea', All Efforts to Attract Christmas Tourism"

Interview with Lee Jaehwan, Vice President of Korea Tourism Organization
Philippines Ranks Highest in Loyalty and Favorability for Visiting Korea
Winterless Climate, Targeting December Korea Travel Packages
Korea Tourism Promotion Event Draws 50,000 Consumers Over Two Days

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as the global popularity of K-content rose, the experience rate of Korean culture increased, and significant changes began in the trends of inbound tourism to Korea. Tourist destinations have been expanding from the essential Korean tourism courses such as Myeongdong, Namsan Tower, and Nami Island to regions like Busan, Gangneung, and Jeonju, which are filming locations for BTS music videos and Hallyu content. Lee Jae-hwan, Vice President of the Korea Tourism Organization, who attended the 'KOREA TRAVEL FIESTA 2023' held in Manila, Philippines from the 1st to the 3rd, shared that he personally felt the changes in demand for Korean tourism on-site. Below is a Q&A with Vice President Lee.

Lee Jaehwan, Vice President of the Korea Tourism Organization, recently attended the Korea Tourism Promotion Event held in Manila, Philippines, and shared that he personally experienced the changes in local demand for Korean tourism.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

-With the full-scale resumption of tourism, the Philippine inbound market is also becoming active. What is the current status?

▲From January to July this year, about 170,000 Filipino tourists visited Korea, ranking 8th in the overall inbound market. This is about 61% recovery compared to the same period in 2019, which is higher than the overall inbound market recovery rate of 55%. Additionally, the Philippines is a major inbound tourism market with high experience and favorability toward Korean culture, rapid economic growth (7.6% growth in 2022), and a population exceeding 100 million, offering abundant potential. In a recent satisfaction survey by country from the foreign tourist survey, the Philippines ranked first in all categories such as intention to revisit and willingness to recommend to others, showing higher loyalty and favorability toward Korean tourism than any other country.

-What changes have occurred in the trends of Filipinos visiting Korea after COVID-19, and what Korean tourism content is popular?

▲The global popularity of Hallyu content has greatly influenced the Philippines as well. Filipinos, who have become familiar with Korea through K-culture, are generating demand for ‘travel bucket lists’ that involve living in Korea rather than short trips. Thanks to the popularity of Hallyu, products for December, the peak travel season locally, as well as products for young female individual travelers and family groups using charter flights, are increasing compared to before the pandemic. Among Filipino tourists who love Hallyu, interest in ‘HiKR Ground,’ a complex cultural space in downtown Seoul, has risen. This five-story space offers various immersive experiences combining K-culture with smart technology and provides rest areas for travelers, making it a must-visit course frequently visited by both group and individual tourists who are interested in K-pop and other K-culture.

People in the Philippines enjoying the Korea Travel Fiesta (9.2) performance held on the 2nd in Manila, Philippines.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

-What special programs were prepared for this Korea Travel Fiesta, and what were the local reactions and outcomes?

▲In Manila, we held the B2B event ‘MICE Roadshow’ and the B2C event ‘KOREA TRAVEL FIESTA 2023.’ In the Philippines, Christmas carols start playing in September, and tourists begin booking travel products for the Christmas holidays. Therefore, early September was set as the Korean tourism promotion week, and trade fairs between the industries of both countries and promotional events targeting consumers were planned in preparation for the peak season. According to an airline participating in the event, a limited edition special airfare promotion was specially prepared for this promotion, and it sold out early on-site due to the enthusiastic response. At the ‘MICE Roadshow’ to restore networks in the tourism industry of both countries, about 1,500 consultations were conducted with major local travel agencies, airlines, and other tourism businesses in the Philippines, as well as domestic local governments, RTOs, and travel agencies, laying the foundation for tourism recovery. Since the Philippines has no winter, the winter sports zone promoting winter tourism was very popular, and the K-culture festival zone introducing various K-culture such as K-pop dance workshops and beauty/food demonstrations continuously attracted visitors. Approximately 50,000 consumers visited over the two days of the event, showing the strong local interest focused on the event site. This demonstrated how great the desire for travel to Korea is.

People enjoying traditional Korean fan painting at the Korea Travel Fiesta held in Manila, Philippines on the 2nd.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

-What are the future plans to attract local tourists?

▲Following the pilot implementation of electronic visas for groups of three or more at the end of June for one year, the Korean Embassy in the Philippines officially opened a visa center on the 29th of last month, making visa applications more convenient for Filipinos. Taking this opportunity, the Korea Tourism Organization plans to conduct various consumer-targeted promotional events and, through joint promotions with airlines and local online and offline travel industries, promote visa-free entry and regional linked tourism products in places such as Yangyang, Muan, and Jeju. Additionally, by developing various winter tourism products targeting the Christmas season, the biggest travel peak season in the Philippines, efforts will be made to attract 370,000 Filipino tourists to Korea by the end of this year.