MANILA, Philippines – The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Manila recently awarded The Philippine STAR as best in media during the 2015 Korea Travel Award held at the Intercontinental Hotel Manila.
KTO Manila recognized The STAR for its unwavering support and dedication in the promotion of Korean tourism in the country.
“This is in recognition of their exemplary performance, with their steadfast support in all projects in the year 2015,” KTO Manila director Inshik Park said during the ceremony.
KTO also awarded Rakso Air Travel and Tours, Island Resort Club, Far Eastern Travel Agency Inc., Asiana Airlines and BDO Credit Cards as outstanding partners. It likewise named Horizon Travel, Rakso Air Travel and Tours and Skynet Travel as consortium sales top performers.
KTO took the occasion to unveil its plans for 2016, including the promotion of Gyeonggi-do as its newest travel destination for Filipino tourists.
Oh Jung-Chul, assistant manager for overseas marketing, believes that Gyeonggi will appeal to Filipino tourists because of the plethora of activities that the place can offer to the whole family.
“We know that Filipinos are family-oriented and if you analyze their traveling pattern, you can see that they tend to travel with the whole clan. So in Gyeonggi, we have attractions that will appeal to everyone, from children to grannies,” Oh said.
Among the attractions in Gyeonggi are the Everland theme park, the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress which is a UNESCO heritage site, the Petite France, which was the shooting site of the phenomenal Korean drama “My Love From The Star,” the Onemount in Goyang, which is a snow and water park, and the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).
The Gwangmyeong Cave, located in Gwanpyeong, is also fast becoming a popular tourist destination, he added.
The cave is an ex-mining area founded in 1912. Today it is a tourist spot and features a LED tunnel, Aqua World, Golden Fall, Gold Palace and the Wine Cave.
“We know that Filipinos will like Gyeonggi because, aside from the attractions, it is very near Seoul. From Seoul and the Incheon International Airport, it only takes one hour to travel to Gyeonggi,” Oh said.