DOT set to join Korea, UAE travel fairs 

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is set to lead the Philippine delegation to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 and the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2024 this month, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

The ATM will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from May 6 to 9 and the SITF at the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea on May 8 to 10.

The ATM is a global travel and tourism platform for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry, facilitating USD2.5 billion in deals.

The SITF, also known as the Korea World Travel Fair, serves as the largest international travel fair in South Korea for 38 years.

"With the momentum from increased tourist arrivals from the Middle East and the resurgence of Korean tourists to the Philippines, it's vital to sustain our visibility at travel and trade events like Arabian Travel Market and the Seoul International Travel Fair,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said Friday in a news release.

South Korea remains the Philippines' top source market in terms of inbound visitor arrivals with 27.19 percent or 546,726, followed by the United States with 315,816 (15.71 percent), China with 130,574 (6.49 percent), Japan with 123,204 (6.13 percent), and Australia with 88,048 (4.38 percent) as of April.

The Philippine delegation to the ATM 2024 is composed of 16 participating hotel and resorts, tour operators, and destination management companies.

Frasco and Tourism Promotions Board Philippines chief operating officer Maria Margarita Nograles will join the Philippine delegation in the travel fairs.