SEOUL, 9 June 2016 - The Philippines sent a tourism mission to participate in two of South Korea's biggest international travel fairs that took place simultaneously at convention centers in the southern part and northeast of Seoul on 9-12 June 2016.

The Department of Tourism delegation, led by Undersecretary for Tourism Development Benito C Bengzon Jr. and supported by three representatives of the Philippine Congress and Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez, participated at the 31st Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA 2016) in COEX and the 10th HanaTour International Travel Show (HITS 2016) in KINTEX. The events were also attended by Rep. Scott Davies Lanete, Rep. Victoria Noel, and Rep. Rodel Batocabe, as well as Atty Gracelda Andres, Deputy Secretary General, and Atty Apryll Dumas, Executive Director of the Office of the Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives. KOTFA is the biggest international travel fair in Korea with the participation of both international and domestic tourism-related organizations. This year, a total of 3,751 exhibitors representing 482 organizations from 51 countries put out 520 booths attracting 95,267 visitors during the four-day fair. HITS is a major travel fair organized by HanaTour, Korea's biggest travel company with 2,361 employees, 35 domestic branches, 16 global branches, and 1,210 offices, accounting for as much as a fifth of the market. The figures are not out yet for this year but HITS 2015 had a total of 56,000 visitors to 910 participating booths in three days, with travel product sales of 14.7 billion KRW. The mission was capped by a reception, Philippine Appreciation Night, held at Lotte Hotel on 10 June 2016 to honor Korean and Philippine travel trade, media, airlines, and other tourism-related agencies that have helped make the Philippines one of the most visited overseas destinations for Koreans. "It is said that a rising tide lifts all boats," Ambassador Hernandez told the audience at the reception. "With arrivals from Korea pegged at more than 1.3 million tourists in 2015 and visitor spending amounting to PHP4.09 billion for the month of March 2016 alone, we can definitely say that tourism has done a tremendous job boosting our economy." Ambassador Hernandez also thanked outgoing Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT)-Korea Tourism Director and Attache Maricon Basco-Ebron, who had served in Seoul for nine years since 2007, for her "unswerving efforts and irrepressible enthusiasm" in making South Korea the biggest inbound market for the Philippines during her term here. Plaques of appreciation were handed to KOTFA Chairman Shin Joong-mok, Hana Tour Director Kim, Chang-hun, Mode Tour Vice Chairman Hong Ki-jung. The 16-member Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild, a Manila-based dance group that promotes traditional arts and culture through the re-staging of folk dances, represented the Philippines as one of 15 countries and territories, together with Korea, China, Malaysia, Guam, and India, which performed folkloric dances at all the two events.