About 16 direct flights from Incheon, South Korea to the Bacolod-Silay Airport are scheduled to commence December 20, Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia said yesterday.

The flights, using Philippine Airlines, will bring in an expected weekly average of 340 Korean golfers to Bacolod, said Leonardia, who is helping facilitate the tours.

“This is our rehearsal for the time when we will have regular international flights, bringing in a regular flow of tourists to our city,” Leonardia said. “We need to put out our best,” he added.

Former city administrator John Orola, who is now congressional consultant for tourism, said the flights will mean about 2,700 tourists and if they spend an estimated $500 each, could mean an estimated income of P60 million for Bacolod.

Leonardia met Orola and Ryan Lee and Kim Hong Ki, who are both the local Korean organizers of the golf tours.

Aside from golf, Leonardia who was formerly tourism coordinator for Negros Occidental, has asked Orola to prepare cultural activities that may be offered to the Koreans so they can have a better appreciation of Bacolod and its tourism attractions.

Lee said they are also looking for other tourism attractions in Bacolod and Negros they can promote in Korea.

The tours are being organized and marketed by Mode Tours, the biggest travel company in Korea.

Last week, Leonardia also met with Lee, Orola, Ma. Mecine Reyes and Himelie Fernandez of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Rene Aviles, manager of PAL, to thresh out other concerns regarding the flights.

The flights will arrive Thursdays and Sundays every week starting Dec. 20.*

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