SEOUL, 4 November 2014 – Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez, together with the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), launched the Visit the Philippines Year (VPY) 2015 campaign in Seoul at a Korea tourism industry gala dinner at Lotte Hotel in central Seoul on Tuesday, 4 November 2014.

“It goes without saying that I am very proud of what we have accomplished together,” said Ambassador Hernandez, citing the 1.17 million arrivals in the Philippines from Korea last year, the highest of any single country. “But as high as these figures are, I know we can do better,” he added, saying it represented 8 percent of the total 15 million overseas Korean travelers in 2013. “It is our mission to let them [92 percent of Korean travelers] know what they are missing,” he told the 370 guests attending the launch at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. “Let’s make 2015 the year when we spread the good news to all Koreans, especially those who have yet to travel to our beautiful islands.” Department of Tourism (DOT) Korea Director and Tourism Attaché Maricon Ebron made a presentation of the highlights of Philippine tourism promotion in Korea in 2014 as well as plans for next year, including introducing the campaign logo, which incorporates elements from the on-going successful “It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign launched in January 2012. Also launched was a 4-minute VPY 2015-themed video featuring popular Korean comedian Jeong Jong-cheol, who was shot traveling various tourist destinations in the Philippines, including Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Davao, Palawan, Bohol, and Tuguegarao. Entertainment was presented by MICA, a quartet of singing sisters from northern Philippines who have gained a remarkable following after becoming the first foreign group to break into the top ranks of the finals of South Korea’s top talent show Super Star K6, Filipino pop opera star Jonathan Badon and Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild, a Manila-based dance group. The event’s guests included Ambassador Hae-Moon Chung, Secretary General ASEAN-Korea Centre, Shin Joong-mok, Chairman of the Korea World Travel Fair, Yang Moo-seung, Chairman of the Korea Association of Travel Agents, Hong Ki-jung, Vice President of leading Korean tour operator Mode Tour and Lee Myung-hoon, Vice President of Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA). Koreans are known to be active travellers, 14,846,485 of whom travelled overseas last year. The Philippines was one of only five countries – with China, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong – that register over 1 million Korean visitors annually, with 1,165,789 Koreans arriving in 2013, a figure that represents a quarter of the country’s total arrivals of 4,681,307 in 2013. –END–