Incheon Airport Corporation Targets Vietnamese Market: "Visit Korea for Tourism"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Incheon International Airport Corporation is accelerating efforts to promote the early recovery of air travel demand in the Southeast Asian region.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 10th that it held a briefing session on travel to Korea and transit for local travel agencies at the Sheraton Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to promote the recovery of air travel demand in the post-COVID-19 era.

This briefing session is the first overseas joint marketing event for the aviation and travel industries since COVID-19. The Korea Tourism Organization, Korean Air, and Delta Air Lines participated together. About 80 people attended the event held in Ho Chi Minh City, including Consul Bae Chang-jun of the Republic of Korea Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Kim Hyung-shin, Head of Hub Strategy Division at Incheon International Airport Corporation, Lee Jae-hoon, Director of the Hanoi branch of the Korea Tourism Organization, Kim Gye-yong, Head of the Vietnam branch of Korean Air, and key local travel agency officials in Vietnam.

Vietnam was the largest passenger and second-largest transit passenger carrier in Southeast Asia before COVID-19. The passenger volume between Incheon Airport and Vietnam recorded 7.62 million passengers and 500,000 transit passengers in 2019.

The briefing session was held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which account for 50% (3.8 million) of all passengers and 78% (400,000) of transit passengers in Vietnam. These are strategic areas expected to see the fastest increase in travelers in the post-COVID-19 period.

At the briefing, the corporation introduced Incheon Airport’s excellent facilities and services to local travel agencies. It emphasized Incheon Airport’s competitiveness as a transit airport, including transit convenience facilities specialized for transit passengers, transit lounge discount promotions, K-content experience services, free transit tours, and transit guide services.

With the recent full lifting of government aviation operation restrictions and the international flight demand showing a full recovery trend, the corporation expects this briefing session to serve as a stepping stone for the early revitalization of inbound (foreigners’ domestic travel) and transit travel. Additionally, the joint marketing with Delta Air Lines, a joint venture (JV) partner of Korean Air, is expected to greatly contribute to strengthening the Southeast Asia-Americas route, a major transit axis of Incheon Airport.

Furthermore, the companies plan to strengthen mutual cooperation for the revitalization of air travel in the Southeast Asian region by implementing SNS and website-linked marketing, jointly hosting promotions targeting passengers, and more, starting with this joint briefing session in Vietnam.

Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, “We are pleased that a foundation for joint marketing among related industries to recover air travel demand has been established based on this briefing session,” adding, “Going forward, the corporation will actively cooperate with related organizations and the aviation and travel industries to promptly increase route supply and attract target airlines in the post-COVID-19 era, thereby actively promoting the reconstruction and expansion of Incheon Airport’s hub network.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.