The Philippine Department of Tourism held an offline media briefing event in conjunction with Tourism Minister’s visit to Korea by inviting major media partners at the Lotte Hotel Seoul in So-Gong-Dong area of Seoul on the March 30th.

This event is the first media briefing event to be held since the COVID-19 pandemic era has been started, and PDOT has shared updated information with key media partners regarding the trends of the local tourism industry that has changed since the opening of the borders on February 10, brand-new global marketing campaigns, and diverse tourism products and circuits targeting Korea, the number one inbound travel market of the Philippines.

At this media briefing, Tourism Minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, “There are high expectations for the increase in Korean travelers as the borders of the Philippines have been opening since February 10.” and she said, ““Next month, we’ll be showcasing our country to the hilt as the Philippines hosts the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit from April 20-22. The WTTC Global Summit is considered the most influential event for the travel and tourism industry, with at least 650 executives expected to attend. With the theme “Rediscovering Travel,” the summit will provide an opportunity to address the social, environmental, and economic challenges as we rediscover global travel amid this pandemic.”

And Howard Lance Uyking, Assistant Secretary of Department of Tourism in the Philippines, showcased a presentation on more than 111 newly developed Tourism Circuits that are being strategically developed in collaboration with local tourism partners for new normal travelers in global.

“In this campaign, we highlight the preparations our tourism industry has carried out while inbound travel was put on hold, from enhanced safety protocols to new tourism products and circuits that align with sustainable development goals.” Puyat added, “We are thrilled that Korean citizens have started returning to our country, and we look forward to Korea becoming our top market once again.”

In addition, the Philippine Department of Tourism also held a “Travel Trade Event” that invited key travel industry people in the afternoon of the same day. Especially, this event was held in a hybrid format, and executives and working level staffs of major airlines and travel agents participated in the event throughout offline and online access via the Zoom link provided in advance. This event provided an opportunity for the participants to think about ideas such as developing more diverse themed tour products by sharing new campaigns and Tourism Circuits.

according to the Philippine Department of Tourism, inbound visitor arrivals to the Philippines have now reached 102,031 as of March 16, a high note for the country since its closure of borders at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In the ranking of foreign tourists who entered the Philippines, the United States (22,243 people) took the first place, followed by Canada (4,852 people), the UK (4,386 people), and Korea (3,748 people).

Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Department of Tourism, the number of Korean visitors who visited the Philippines in 2019 before COVID-19 was 1.989,322, which ranked first among all Philippine inbound travelers, accounting for 24.08% of global visitors. And from the opening of the borders on February 10 to March 16, total inbound visitor arrivals to the Philippines have now reached 151,332 as of March 16, a high note for the country since its closure of borders at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In the ranking of foreign tourists who entered the Philippines, the United States (33,310 people) took the first place, followed by Canada (7,305 people), the UK (6,626 people), and Korea (5,790 people).