Let K-pop star Sandara Park quench your thirst for travel as she takes you on a virtual tour of Seoul
Before the pandemic grounded leisure travel, going to South Korea—whether to retrace the scenes of a favorite K-drama, go on an ultimate food trip, or splurge on Korean beauty products—almost always completes the Korea-loving heart of a growing number of Filipinos smitten with the infectious love for Korean pop culture.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), out of 503,867 Filipinos who visited South Korea in 2019, over 285,080 went there for tourism.
In May, due to the impact brought by COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the KTO Manila office launched a special online campaign called #KoreaAtHome with the hope that Pinoys will consider traveling to Korea once the pandemic situation improves.
As a conclusion for the online campaign, a two-part #AnnyeongKoreaLive Special with Sandara Park will be launched.
The special's first part is set to premiere on Dec. 5, 7 p.m., at KTO Manila’s YouTube channel and will be hosted by model and influencer Richard Juan. It will feature an interview with Sandara via a video conferencing platform and a full-day tour of Seoul through her “Dara Tour” vlog.
In the special, Sandara, who is currently based in Seoul, will virtually bring viewers to notable sights in the South Korean capital like the iconic landmark N Seoul Tower, which is considered as one of the tallest towers in Asia at 480 meters.
For an old Seoul feel, the former 2NE1 member will feature a quaint village that is considered a living history museum—Bukjeong Village—embraced by gentle hills peppered with humble, low-rise houses. It is said to be the last hillside village in Seoul.
Sandara will also take viewers to the Lotte World Tower right by the Lotte World amusement park. The 123-story tower is popular for its glass-floored indoor observatory Seoul Sky that boasts an unobstructed 360-degree view of Seoul.
Filipino fans of the K-pop star will also get a chance to be part of the episode by sending a video message to KTO’s Facebook page. Among them, five will be selected and will win P1,000 shopping gift vouchers. Live viewers of the episode will also have a chance to win P1,000-worth of shopping gift vouchers when they enter the quiz event.
Those who have traveled to Korea in the past may also win gadgets and cash prizes of up to P70,000 if they post their photos taken while in Korea via the ongoing #SamaKaSaKorea photo and video sharing event, which will run until Nov. 30.