Fam tour of Haemi, Sinri and Solmoe pilgrimage sites held Monday and Tuesday for Philippine travel agencies
South Chungcheong Province hosted a Catholic pilgrimage familiarization tour aimed at attracting visitors from the Philippines.
The provincial government announced Wednesday that it had invited representatives from Philippine travel agencies on Monday and Tuesday for a fam tour designed to develop Catholic pilgrimage tourism products.
The province and the Korea Tourism Organization's Manila office organized the tour jointly, drawing participants from six major Philippine travel agencies.
The full itinerary spans five days and four nights, beginning in South Chungcheong Province before continuing through North Chungcheong Province, Gyeonggi Province and Seoul. Within the province, activities centered on Seosan and Dangjin.
Participants visited Haemi International Pilgrimage Site and the Wake Up Center in Seosan, then Sinri Pilgrimage Site and Solmoe Pilgrimage Site in Dangjin, taking in the heart of South Chungcheong's sacred sites — places steeped in the history of Catholic persecution and the spirit of martyrdom in Korea.
The province also stationed professional guides at each site to deepen participants' understanding of the historical background of each location.
The tour is expected to give Philippine travel agencies a firsthand look at the province's religious sites, creating an opportunity to develop new pilgrimage-focused tourism packages.
"We will continue to strengthen cooperation with travel agencies and other partners so that the number of overseas pilgrims visiting South Chungcheong Province — including those from the Philippines — can grow, building on the momentum of the 2027 World Youth Day," a provincial official said.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
