Phl opens tourism showroom in Seoul

MANILA, Philippines - Last year, 13 million Korean tourists traveled the world; 925,000 of them came to the Philippines, nearly a quarter of our country’s total tourist arrivals for the year.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is aiming to increase that number to at least one million — if not 1.1 million — this year, and efforts to achieve that got a boost with the inauguration last week of the DOT showroom at the President Hotel on Eulji-Ro, just off the main Gwanghwamun in the heart of downtown Seoul.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Luis Cruz presided over the opening that, true to form, was more fun than formality.

Huge posters of the current “It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign, videos showing major attractions, souvenir items as well as books and brochures fill the bright showroom, staffed by Filipinos and Koreans.

Visitors to the showroom enjoy coffee and mango juice, dried mangoes and polvoron.

Tourism attaché Maricon Ebron told The STAR the showroom, the first to be set up by the DOT, is a one-stop shop where visitors can learn about the Philippines and plan their tours over cups of barako coffee or mango juice.

Bookings on Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and ZestAir can also be made.