The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on Monday signed the implementation program of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tourism Cooperation for 2024-2029.

DOT Secretary Christina Frasco and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon signed and exchanged documents before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

The implementation program for 2024-2029 continues and expands the bilateral tourism cooperation under an MOU on Tourism Cooperation signed in 2006.

Frasco said the program would enhance the relations between the Philippines and South Korea in tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

“We anticipate this will increase demand for more Philippine destinations and tourism products from our number one source market, South Korea, and provide more opportunities for the economic advancement of our people, with the expected growth in our tourism numbers,” she said.

Under the renewed cooperation, both countries have agreed to have an exchange of tourism professionals and administrators to strengthen mutual development and competency in the fields of hotels, resorts, cruises, ports, tourism products, and other related industries; exchange information on tourism development; and strengthen tourism safety by establishing and improving tourism safety cooperation mechanisms through information sharing and contingency coordination.

They also agreed to have a joint promotion and marketing to increase the overall number of tourist traffic; participate in training and exchange; support each other’s tourism fairs, exhibitions, and other promotional initiatives; and encourage tourism investment.

To date, South Korea tops the list of international visitor arrivals to the country which accounts for 27.16 percent of total foreign tourist arrivals.

Since January this year, a total of 1,230,858 visitors from Korea have arrived in the Philippines. (PNA)