Embassy and Local Financial Institutions Promote Simplification of Visa Application Process
In preparation for the peak winter travel season for Filipino tourists, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 9th that they held the ‘K-Tourism Roadshow’ in Manila for three days from the 6th to the 8th.
At the Travel Mart held on the 6th at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, 40 Korean travel industry organizations participated, marking the largest scale since the opening of the Korea Tourism Organization’s Manila office in 2012.
More than 250 people, including government officials and travel industry representatives from the Philippines, attended, with a total of about 350 participants from both countries conducting over 2,000 business consultations, demonstrating the strong enthusiasm for Korean tourism.
The Korea Tourism Organization prepared consumer events under two themes, ‘Winter in Korea’ and ‘Family Fun in Korea,’ considering the winter season favored by Filipinos and their family-centered travel culture. Approximately 50,000 visitors attended the event. Held from the 7th to the 8th at Glorietta Shopping Mall, the event opened with a snow performance wishing for the first snowfall. Popular attractions included a 3D experience center and photo zones where visitors could experience Korea’s autumn and winter seasons. The atmosphere was energized by performances from Hallyu stars popular locally, such as EXO’s Xiumin and Punch.
Additionally, on the 6th at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, the Korea Tourism Organization signed a business agreement with the Philippines’ largest financial institutions BDO, BPI, RCBC, and Metrobank to simplify the visa application process, a mandatory procedure for visiting Korea. Through this agreement, a joint campaign targeting high-income Filipinos will be promoted with the four credit card companies participating in the visa application document simplification program to encourage travel to Korea.
A Filipino visitor experiencing a personal color diagnosis at Korea Travel Fiesta 2024. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]
The visa application document simplification program is a project jointly promoted this year by the Korea Tourism Organization, the Korean Embassy in the Philippines, and local credit card companies. It aims to ease the financial proof document requirement for visa applications for high-income Filipinos holding designated premium credit cards approved by the embassy.
In connection with this, the Korea Tourism Organization plans to promote discounted travel packages to Korea for premium customers of the four credit card companies, the Family Fun in Korea family travel campaign, and tourism promotion using the marketing channels of the credit card companies. The four companies’ premium credit cardholders number approximately 2.75 million, accounting for 2.3% of the Philippine population. Since immediate family members also benefit from the visa document simplification, it is expected to significantly boost family-based travel demand to Korea among high-income Filipinos.
Seo Young-chung, Acting President of the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines. By July this year, the number of Filipino tourists visiting Korea exceeded 280,000, a 62% increase compared to the same period last year. We will do our best to ensure that more than 500,000 Filipino tourists visit Korea this year, using this event targeting K-culture enthusiasts and high-income Filipino families as a stepping stone.”
Opening ceremony of Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 held in Manila, Philippines. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]
On the 11th in Sydney and the 12th in Brisbane, Australia, the ‘Australia K-Tourism B2B Roadshow’ will take over the baton of the mega roadshow. By July this year, the number of Australian tourists visiting Korea reached about 133,000, setting a record high, and the organization plans to continue this growth through the roadshow.
From the 14th to the 15th in Osaka, Japan, ‘A Step Toward Korea in Osaka’ will be held. At ‘Namba Square’ in the heart of Osaka city, various Hallyu contents such as K-fashion, K-performance, and K-beauty will be showcased to captivate the Japanese audience. Approximately 80,000 visitors are expected over the two days of the event.
In Toronto, Canada, the ‘Korean Culture and Tourism Expo’ will be held from the 21st to the 22nd. The Korea Tourism Organization will set up a Korean pavilion of about 400 pyeong in front of Toronto City Hall and target Canadian tourists with content such as vegan food, wellness, and outdoor activities, which are highly popular in the Americas.
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