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South Korean city declares visa-free entry for Pinoys

Filipinos will now be able to fly to Pyeongchang City in South Korea without a visa.

According to a Yonhap News Agency report, tourists from the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam need not apply for a visa to enter the city until April 2018 as South Korea hosts the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The 23rd Olympic Winter Games will take place in Pyeongchang City, Gangwon province starting February and will pit competitors from around the world against each other in winter sports such as skiing, figure skating, snowboarding and ice hockey.

Tourists from the mentioned Southeast Asian countries, however, must enter through the Yangyang International Airport.

According to travel search engine Skyscanner, there are presently no direct flights from the Philippines to Yangyang International Airport.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) urged South Korea to expand its markets so as to boost its tourism industry, which saw a large decline in tourist arrivals following a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Beijing.

“We need to apply the visa waiver system to Indonesia, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. It would be worth doing the same for India, which is a rising market,” Yonhap quoted KCCI as saying.

Based on the Department of Tourism statistics as of August 2017, Korea sends the most tourists to the Philippines, amounting to more than 140,000 arrivals in a month.

 

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