KTO Manila continues efforts to boost tourism with Korea Incentive Road Show

Last September 3, 2015, Korea Tourism Organization Manila held the Korea Incentive Road Show at Ballrooms 1 & 2 of the Fairmont Hotel in Makati, which aimed to promote Korea as the top corporate incentive travel destination. I was fortunate enough to be one among three Wow Korea Supporters who were able to attend the event.

Korea Incentive Mini Mart

The Korea Incentive Mini Mart was held in the afternoon at around 3:30-5:30pm, where Korea's best corporate travel suppliers, tour operators, convention bureaus, and airlines sat down and had table top meetings with the country’s travel agencies and private companies to discuss travel packages that may suit their requirements and preferences, and perks in visiting Korea as a group. Most of them give away freebies (probably to make an impression to prospective Clients) as well as informative collaterals such as pamphlets, maps and leaflets.

KTO Manila Freebies for event participants

The KCC Traditional Dance Team also performed to entertain everyone, half way through the event. 

KCC Traditional Dance Team with their fan dance. (Photo credit: KTO Manila)

Of course, we had 'photo ops' and selfies during the event :)

Various photos about Korea and its culture were also exhibited during the event as additional attraction for participants:

Korea Incentive Night

The Korea Incentive Night, which is strictly by invitation only, followed right after. Cocktails were served as guests lined up to get their respective IDs and freebies from the registration area.

We had a selfie with the host, Ms. Sam Oh, before the program started :)

The program started with the singing of the national anthem of the two countries, the Philippines and Korea. The program was hosted by Ms. Sam Oh, and Mr. Kee-Hun Kim, Executive Director of the Korea MICE Bureau gave the opening remarks.

Ms. Sam Oh, the host for the night

At the beginning of the program, the Korean Ambassador to the Philippines, H. E Jae-Shin Kim also gave his welcome remarks and talked about the rapid growth of foreign and bilateral relations between Korea and the Philippines, especially in the field of tourism. With the increasing number of Koreans visiting the country (around 2,000 Korean tourists arrive in the country every day) and Filipinos going to Korea (around 400,000 Philippine tourists visited Korea last year), and he said there is high possibility of further broadening the interest in the tourism sector between the two countries. He also cited Koreas best features, from their infrastructure growth, IT and communication systems, strategic location, rich history and cultural heritage that includes UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to medical tourism, and of course Hallyu or the Korean Wave, which is very popular among many Filipinos.

Ambassador Jae-Shin Kim delivering his welcome remarks at the Korea Incentive Night

“Ladies and gentlemen, more than ever, I think this is the ideal time for more Filipinos to visit Korea,” the ambassador said, calling on the Philippine Tourism Industry to help them promote Korea in the country. He ended his speech by expressing his appreciation to everyone who made the event possible, and his confidence in its success.

To complement the Ambassador’s welcome remarks, the Department of Tourism’s Usec. Benito C. Bengzon, Jr. also gave a congratulatory speech for the Korea Tourism Organization. He emphasized the fundamental and very important role that KTO has played in bringing together the people of Korea to the Philippines, as well as how this significantly improved the intercultural relations between the 2 countries. He mentioned the healthy exchange of two-way traffic between the two countries.

During his congratulatory speech, Usec. Benito C. Bengzon, Jr. assured KTO that the Dept. of Tourism will continuously support them 

“We assure you that we will give you our full support so that you can increase the 400,000 to 1.2 Million. And I hope that you will also help us get the additional 800,000 so that we can finally reach our target of 2 Million Korean tourists in the Philippines. But clearly, the two-way traffic has never been better…,” he said.

The Undersecretary further added that the Department of Tourism will be firm with its support to the Korea Tourism Organization and that they would like to renew their commitment in supporting KTO’s initiatives to promote and develop various industries particularly in the area of tourism. “I am confident that the Department of Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will be able to continue to play its vital role in strengthening relations between our people. So tonight, it’s not only about promoting tourism between our countries, more important than anything else, it’s promoting friendship and building stronger relations,” he said.

Ms. Velika de Jesus presented updates on Korea MICE travel.

One of the highlights of the event is the updates on Korea MICE travel given by Ms. Velika de Jesus, Assistant Manager of KTO Manila. She highlighted several reasons why tourists should travel to Korea, which are as follows:

Korea’s Rich Cultural Heritage

• Kimchi Making
• Temple Stay (more details HERE)
• Festivals- every month, there’s a festival in Korea (e.g. Boryeong Mud Festival- which attracts the most foreign tourists in Korea; Seoul Lantern Festival in Nov- which is one of the biggest Buddhist event in Korea)

World Class Infrastructures for Harmonious Gatherings

• Global accessibility and transportation systems (e.g Incheon Intl Airport is the main hub for most connecting flights. Serves 88 airlines, 183 cities, and 56 countries. Awarded as the best airport in Asia)
• Comfortable and affordable lodging facilities- Korea offers a wide range of accommodations which include 5-star hotels managed by int’l chains such as Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental, Hilton, etc. as well as local chains such as Shilla and Lotte; clean budget hostels, and even Hanok stays (traditional Korean house; check HERE for more details).
• Convention Centers and Meeting facilities
• High Technology (numerous public wi-fi spots; home of Samsung, LG, and Hyundai)

Unique Attractions for Unforgettable Events

• Historical & Cultural Sites (Gyeongbokgung, Palace of Shining Happiness)
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Korea is home of 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites which include Bulguksa Temple, Jongmyo Shrine, Hwaseong Fortress, Jeju Volcanic Island and the newest addition, the Baekje Historic Areas; more details HERE)
• Pristine Coastlines and Mountains
• The Demilitarized Zone
• Korea Medical Tourism

Cuisine for Palatable Experiences (Food/Hansik)

• Foreigners can visit Korea as Gourmet Tourists and find a lot of unique restaurants and appetizing delicacies (know more about Korean Cuisine HERE and HERE)

Shopping and Entertainment

• Shopper’s Paradise- Korea offers various shopping options from Duty Free Shopping to traditional outdoor markets such as Nandaemun and Dongdaemun (more details HERE), to popular and hip shopping places in Myeongdong, Insa-dong, Itaewon, etc. (You can also get tax refunds when you purchase 30,000 won or more at a store. Learn more about it HERE)
• Variety of both modern and traditional performances (more details HERE)
• Taekwondo Demonstrations
• Hallyu Performances and Kpop Concerts (Check HERE to know how to apply as audience for Kpop Music shows) 
• Kpop and Kdrama Filming Sites (popular locations are MBC Dramia, Petite France, Suncheon Open Film Location, etc.)

Korea as MICE Destination

• Korea has the capability to hold large-scale conventions, having hosted 469 conventions (as of 2011) already, and is fit for the standards specified by the Union of Int’l Associations and ranked 6th in the world.
• Korea is ranked 4th safest country in the world
• Tourist Police who are trained in speaking foreign languages (English, Chinese, Japanese) are deployed in key cities in Korea (Seoul, Busan, Incheon)

Korea ranks 6th as top international meeting destination (2011)

Ms. Velika also mentioned their Incentive Tour Programs. For example, a group of 10 people staying in Korea for at least 2 days for a simple business meeting may already avail of 2 out of 3 service options which include free souvenirs, hosted non-verbal show performances, or a welcome ceremony. A bigger group, say 1000 or more, can get worth 20,000 won per person with additional customized support services. These benefits are also applicable to cruise trips as long as they disembark in Korea for 2 days.

To excite the audience, raffle draws were held in between. The prizes range from small traditional items such as a Pearl Crystal Case, a silver spoon set, to 5 roundtrip tickets to Korea.

The segment producer of Matanglawin (a popular documentary show in ABSCBN2), Ms. Grace Sukgang also presented a short video that featured their experiences in their visits to Seoul, Gangwon, and Jeju Island.

(Updated: I was finally able to upload the video of the Matanglawin feature where the crew narrated their experiences in Korea. Pardon the shaky and low quality video :))

Over dinner, the audience was serenaded by the Korea Fusion Traditional Music Band, Lin. This was followed by a corporate travel testimony of Coach Clarissa Calingasan.

(Updated: Here are my videos of Lin's performance during that night)

Here's what we had for dinner :) Yummy, right?

The event, which is sponsored by Air Asia, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Korean Air, and supported by the Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and Banco De Oro, was concluded by the awarding of the Plaques of Appreciation to the Guest Speakers by KTO Director Inshik Park, and the drawing of the winners of the roundtrip to Korea tickets.

Over-all, I’d say it was such an enjoyable and informative event, especially for those who are planning to visit Korea like me. And as said by one of the speakers, Korea is indeed the incentive, because it is a beautiful country with a lot to offer (And I can certainly vouch for that because I’ve been there once :)). So, if you're planning for your company's next destination for large-scale meetings, and conferences, why not try Korea? :) 

I’m also so happy to meet and get to know fellow Wow Korea Supporters. It’s always nice to meet people who share the same interest. Looking forward to attending more events with these ladies :) and meeting the rest of the supporters as well.

This is me with fellow Wow Korea Supporters Stephanie and Jovie :)

For more information on incentive tours, and tour packages, you may get in touch with Korea Tourism Organization Manila via their email at ktomanila@gmail.com.

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For more information about Korean Tourism, you may visit the Korea Tourism Organization Official Website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.


For Filipinos, follow Korea Tourism Organization Manila at Facebook, Twitter, and KakaoTalk (@ktomanila) for the latest updates on Korea tourism, events, tour packages and promos. :)


Credits to Korea Tourism Organization and Korea Tourism Organization Manila for the info materials provided. Thank you KTO Manila for inviting us to the event! ^^