Tourism target: Korean honeymooners market

In a bid to increase its share of the huge Korean honeymooners market, the Philippines is joining about 250 exhibitors at the Wedding Exhibition (WeddEx) Korea 2007, at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul on Aug. 11-15.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said the Philippine participation in WeddEx 2007 will reinforce the country’s market positioning as a prime wedding and honeymoon destination.

"Honeymooners account for some 15 percent or 1.7 million of Korea’s total outbound market of 11.6 million. No wonder, WeddEx has been attracting more and more people since it began in 1992 when it registered over 70,000 visitors," Durano said.

Weddex is Korea’s largest annual exhibition for wedding-related suppliers to cover the enormous demand from honeymooners, who constitute a huge chunk of Korea’s .7 billion total tourism overseas expenditures in 2006.

Demand from this segment peaks during spring and autumn, Korea’s biggest wedding seasons.

"This event will significantly help the DoT sustain the influx of Korean tourists, who now account for the biggest bulk in our foreign arrivals," Durano added.

Also participating are the Eden Mountain Resort, Asian Spirit Airlines, Boracay Regency Beach Resort & Convention Center, Mandala Spa and Villas, Plantation Bay Resort & Spa, Dos Palmas Island Resort & Spa, Patio Pacific Boracay, El Nido Resorts, Club Paradise, and South East Asian Airlines.

"Their exhibits will enhance the Philippines’ growing reputation as a perfect tropical paradise for honeymooners," said Tourism Attache Maricon Basco-Ebron of DoT Seoul. "Our participation in this event will also generate business for our wedding-related establishments and suppliers in various parts of the Philippines."

This developed as the DoT promoted the Philippines as a multi–dimensional destination catering to the wide spectrum of the Korean outbound market, with honeymooners accounting for 14.7 percent, or over 1.7 million.

This market segment is expected to grow even further as the Korean government now provides incentives for its young people to get married in a bid to head off the rise of an ageing population in the next 20 years.

The bulk of Korea’s outbound market belongs to the 31-40 age bracket, whose major reasons for visiting the Philippines include honeymoon, among others.

The DoT is successfully capturing this huge market through its aggressive and vigorous tourism promotional program that includes extensive advertising, events and field marketing, merchandising collaterals, and other innovative below-the-line campaigns.