Philippine TV celebrity Melai Cantiveros, back row fifth from left, and her family members pose at the Taean International Horticulture Healing Expo in South Chungcheong Province, May 13. Courtesy of South Chungcheong Province

South Chungcheong Province said Friday it had completed a three-day tour of Catholic pilgrimage sites for Melai Cantiveros, one of the Philippines’ best-known entertainers and a social media figure with 21 million followers, and her family.

Held from Tuesday to Thursday, the tour was part of a targeted tourism campaign aimed at the Philippine market, where Catholicism is deeply rooted and faith-based travel holds strong appeal, the provincial government said.

Cantiveros, a devout Catholic, visited several major sites in Korea’s Catholic history, including Haemi International Sanctuary in Seosan, Hapdeok Catholic Church in Dangjin and Solmoe Holy Ground. The itinerary was designed to give the campaign a sense of authenticity and connect with Filipino audiences through a faith-based tour.

By combining Catholic pilgrimage sites with family-oriented destinations such as the Taean International Horticulture Healing Expo, Boryeong Mud Theme Park and Sapgyoho Amusement Park, the province is seeking to position itself as a destination for faith-based family travel, the provincial government said.

South Chungcheong Province said it expects Cantiveros’ vlogs and short-form content to generate strong promotional effects in the Philippines. To convert online exposure into actual visits, the province plans to develop market-specific travel packages and improve infrastructure for foreign tourists.

Officials said the tour represents an attempt to open a new tourism channel by linking Hallyu with religious pilgrimage. The province plans to use the initiative as a springboard to attract more pilgrimage tourists from the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News