DoT to bring in 3,000 Korean tourists in 3 months

The Department of Tourism is banking on its intensified group incentive travel program to bring in over 3,000 Korean tourists to the country in a span of three months.

In a general membership meeting of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS), Tourism Secretary Roberto M. Pagdanganan announced that the Department’s incentive travel program was proven to be a major strategy in luring Koreans visitors with the arrival of four huge groups since February to April this year.

In line with this, Pagdanganan urged NAITAS members to promote its incentive travel programs to their clients abroad.

According to DoT Invitational Tourism Promotion head Edu Jarque, the incentive travel market which is rapidly expanding, has become very popular especially with Korean companies who are searching for unique destinations that offer the best deals or packages for their employees. Exciting tour packages, port courtesies and reception were among the special preparations arranged by the DoT for the groups, he said.

Koreans, he added, primarily take special interests in golf, diving and student learning activities, followed by honeymoon getaways and incentive travel.

Meanwhile, DoT Representative to Korea Sunny Cho said the Philippines is turning out to be the preferred holiday destination of most corporate companies in Korea. Among them are Lotte Delmont Beverage Company, who sent the winners of its “Mango Festival” contest to a five-day holiday in Manila via PAL -Korea last February; and the ING-Korea Group, Korea’s biggest life insurance company, whose 840 employees spent a five-day vacation in Cebu last month. The Philippines was chosen over Thailand and Malaysia as the venue for the company’s annual out-of country meeting. This April, the DoT’s incentive travel program will bring in over 2,000 employees of Wires Korea Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd. and METLIFE Insurance Co. Ltd, two big companies in Korea which will hold its annual conference in Cebu.

Korea is the country’s third largest source market in terms of tourist arrivals. Last year, it recorded a 15.9 percentage share, its highest growth ever compared to 14.9 percent in 2002. Despite the SARS and Iraq crises, Korea managed to register a positive incremental growth of 5.5 percent while the country’s top markets United States and Japan recorded decreases.