Reactivating Taiwan and Tourism Exchanges Disrupted by COVID-19

Conducted Fam Tour for Travel Agents Linked to Art Fair
Attended Frieze and KIAF, Reviewed K-Art Themed Korea Travel Packages

Welcome event for fam tour of Taiwanese travel industry officials. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The tourism network between Korea and Taiwan, which had stalled due to the impact of COVID-19, is set to fully resume.

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 31st that it will invite a total of 28 Taiwanese travel industry officials from major travel agencies in Taiwan, including Kangfu Travel Agency and Xiongsi Travel Agency, to conduct a domestic fam tour until September 4.

The organization predicts that this fam tour will serve as an opportunity to further stimulate the demand of Taiwanese tourists visiting Korea, which had slowed due to the COVID-19 impact.

Earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decided at the ‘102nd Overseas Inflow Situation Evaluation Meeting’ to extend the temporary visa-free system for Taiwan, Japan, and Macau until October 31. Additionally, it was announced that pre-entry testing will be suspended starting September 3.

This visit by Taiwanese tourism officials marks the first time in about three years since 2019. This fam tour is linked with Frieze Seoul, one of the world’s top three art fairs held for the first time in Asia in Korea, and KIAF (Korea International Art Fair), the largest domestic exhibition, focusing on developing inbound tourism products themed around so-called K-Art. In other words, it is drawing attention as an attempt to ignite K-Art as a new wave of Hallyu content following Korean cuisine, K-pop, and K-dramas.

The itinerary includes attending the global art fairs Frieze and KIAF, visiting Gangneung Arte Museum and Haslla Art World. There will also be a special inspection of the Korea Tourism Promotion Hall Hiker Ground’s representative Korean tourism content exhibition.

During the art fair period, the Korea Tourism Organization plans to facilitate networking between major Taiwanese art figures, including the chairman of the Taiwan Gallery Association visiting Korea, and domestic artists such as the Korea Gallery Association. It will continue to support promotional activities for individual tourist (FIT) products linked to art fairs and exchange projects between Korean and Taiwanese art organizations.

To rebuild the severed network and create an exchange platform between the tourism industries of the two countries, a tourism exchange night and travel mart event titled ‘Korea Reunited’ will be held, with the participation of about 120 Korean and Taiwanese tourism industry officials.

Seo Youngchung, head of the International Tourism Division at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “Taiwan was a major market with direct flights to Taiwan from all international airports in Korea before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.25 million visitors annually. Through this fam tour, we aim to develop new tourism products reflecting Korea’s latest trends as well as special interest tourism (SIT) products themed around K-Art, thereby diversifying the composition of future inbound tourist markets.”

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