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Major Korean tour firm opens on Saipan
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Posted on Jan 10 2006
Hong Sung-Keun, president of one of the top tour companies in South Korea, went to the Marianas High School gymnasium Monday to witness the inauguration of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez. The following day, he inaugurated Mode Tour’s first local office at the second floor of the Cabrera Center on Beach Road, Garapan.
Mode Tour, which has 25 offices across South Korea, handled over 100,000 outbound travelers from the Asian country in 2005.
“There’s more [travel] demand and we feel we can sell the Marianas as top tourist destination,” Hong’s spokesman said.
In the CNMI, the company’s Saipan manager, Jang Yong-Chul, said Mode Tour is aiming to double the approximately 5,000 Korean tourists it brought to the islands in 2005. Jang said the company is targeting to bring in over 10,000 tourists from Korea in 2006.
A member of the Marianas Visitors Authority, Mode Tour said it would continue tapping honeymooners and senior citizens from Korea, as well as promote the CNMI’s marine sports tours.
Mode Tour would also enhance promotional efforts to families, social groups, student groups, sports organizations, and corporate retreat markets, Jang added.
Mode Tour also acts a general sales agent for Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino.
The company disclosed that the Saipan office could also arrange travels to Korea. The company provides other travel services such as traveler’s checks and insurance, among others, through partnerships and affiliations worldwide.
Mode Tour, which has over 500 employees in Korea, has been a listed company at the KOSDAQ, South Korea’s Stock Exchange. The new Saipan office has 10 employees. Mode Tour disclosed it would also open a branch in Guam this week.
The opening of Mode Tour’s Saipan offices came about as Asiana Airlines vowed to increase the number of passengers from Korea to Saipan in 2006 to over 100,000. If met, the target would reflect a 25-percent growth in the total Saipan-bound Korean passengers in 2005.
