The number of Filipino travelers to South Korea has been increasing, returning to the pre-pandemic levels.
This was according to Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) acting president Young-choong Seo, who graced the recent Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 organized by the KTO Manila Office.
“Filipino travelers have become increasingly vital to Korea’s tourism industry, with their numbers now returning to pre-pandemic levels,” he said during his speech at the event.
Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) acting president Young-choong Seo at the Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 (Jonathan Hicap)
The Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 (Jonathan Hicap)
Also gracing the event were Korean Cultural Cooperation Ambassador Jie-ae Sohn, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa, Philippine Tourism Usec. Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, KTO Manila Office Director Kim Hyung-joon, Korean Cultural Center (KCC) Philippines Director Kim Myeongjin, and Korean singers Xiumin of EXO and Punch.
Based on data from the KTO Data Lab, there were 282,510 tourists from the Philippines who visited South Korea from January to July this year.
This was an increase of 62.5 percent compared to 173,822 Filipinos who visited South Korea from January to July last year.
“It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge the significance of this year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Philippines,” said Seo.
He said South Korea and the Philippines “have continued to strengthen our collaboration across a diverse array of fields, including politics and economics. “Notably, we have seen steady growth in tourism, with Koreans consistently being the largest group of visitors to the Philippines over the past several years.”
Seo added that the KTO is committed to improving visa conditions for travelers to South Korea.
“As we celebrate the 2023-2024 Visit Korea Year, the Korea Tourism Organization has been committed to developing new tourism content while also improving visa conditions for travelers to Korea,” he said.
He added, “I hope you will have an enjoyable time, and look forward to seeing you in Korea this winter.”
Nami Island in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)