Local officials Saturday called the arrival of direct flights from Korea to Negros Occidental until March a major breakthrough in tourism, which they hope will pave the way for more international flights landing at the Bacolod-Silay Airport soon.

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. hosted a dinner on Saturday night at the provincial Capitol for airline and Korean travel officials who arrived on board the maiden ZestAir direct flight from Korea to Bacolod Saturday with 120 tourists on board, most of whom came to play golf.

It was piloted by Sunny Chan, a St. John’s Institute Class ’91 graduate.

This will be followed by 14 more flights arriving every Saturday and Wednesday.

Arturo Alejandrino, Zest Air director, said he hopes that these direct flights from Korea will lead to more in the future.

In December 2009 ZestAir started with two flights a week to Kalibo, Aklan, and now has 14 a week, landing there from Korea, Taipeh and China, he said.

“We would like to replicate this in Negros Occidental, which is a beautiful province with a lot to offer,” Alejandrino added.

He said they were starting with golf tours to Negros Occidental but hope to expand to other tourists attractions in the province.

After Aklan, Bacolod and Negros Occidental are second on their list of tourist destinations in the region, Alejandrino said.

He said the 180–seater Zest Air planes will be initially flying in Korean tourists twice a week.

“But we hope to increase the number of flights coming in to Negros Occidental from Korea and other areas,” he said.

WELCOME ACTIVITIES

Aside from the dinner at the Capitol, the Korean guests were also welcomed to the province in Silay City, and at a dinner hosted by Bacolod tour operators at L’Fisher Hotel Saturday.

“This is the best welcome we have ever received, the people of the province have been very warm,” said Alejandino, who lauded the Negros officials led by Maranon and Lynn Gamboa for their support for his airline’s effort to boost tourism in the province.

Kijung Hong, president of ModeTour, said he hopes that, in the future, there will be regular, not just chartered flights, from Korea to Negros Occidental.

Hong, who runs the second largest tourism firm in Korea, said that, of the 13 million Koreans who traveled abroad last year, ModeTour handled 1.1 million or about 10 percent.

He said that while Negros Occidental has many tourist attractions, golf is the main thing for Koreans.

There are 4 million Korean golfers and in the winter they try to escape to warmer places, he said.

Hong said the Koreans who arrived Saturday will stay in Negros Occidental for five days and four nights, while some may stay longer.

TOURISM ANGLE

Marañon, in his welcome speech at the dinner he hosted, said he hopes the visit of Koreans, aside from boosting the local tourism industry, would also lead to Korean investments in the province, citing the hydro power potential, and the food trade.

Negros Occidental, which already plays host to many Korean students and families, has a vast array of tourism attractions to offer, he said.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia called the arrival of the ZestAir chartered flights from Korean a breakthrough for local tourism.

“We have wished for this for so long, it literally connects us to the rest of the rest of the world,” he said.

“Bacolod’s economic progress is on the roll, this will accelerate things for us,” he said.

“Progress begets progress, more tourists will bring in more tourists,” Leonardia, a former Tourism Department official, said.

He called on Bacoleños to be united in welcoming the Korean tourists so they will keep coming back.

“Let us make them feel safe, secure and at home in Bacolod,” he said, as he called on the city’s taxi drivers, waiters and the public to give special attention and care to tourists visiting the city.

Leonardia turned over the symbolic key of the city to Hong to welcome the Koreans to Bacolod.

Silay Mayor Jose Montelibano, whose welcome activities in Silay were lauded by the Koreans, said he hopes this tourism breakthrough will continue.*CPG

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