Tourism Corporation Launches 'Second Middle East Boom' Initiative in Saudi Arabia

Construction, Participation in Jeddah International Tourism Expo (JTTX)
Focused Marketing Targeting the Middle East through Expo and Roadshow

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are launching a full-scale promotion of Korean tourism in Saudi Arabia.

2022 Saudi Arabia Roadshow. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

On the 16th, the organization announced that it will participate in the Jeddah International Tourism Expo (JTTX) to create a 'second Middle East boom' through the tourism industry. The plan is to quickly restore local networks and accelerate the recovery of the inbound market.

The expo will be held from the 19th to the 21st (local time) in Jeddah, the economic capital of Saudi Arabia. It is a large-scale event representing the Middle East region, attracting about 30,000 visitors. Approximately 200 institutions and companies from 30 countries will participate.

The organization will participate in the expo alongside Middle East-specialized inbound travel agencies and local governments to promote Korean tourism and discuss product development. In particular, during the expo, about 20 leading local travel agencies, including Musafir Travel, will be invited to hold a 'Korean Tourism Briefing,' aiming to rebuild networks with the local tourism industry that collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following this expo, the organization will support the participation of Korea's first tourism venture company (H2O Hospitality) in the startup venture exhibition (BIBAN) held next month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, in May, it will participate in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the largest tourism expo in the Middle East held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and hold a 'K-Tourism Roadshow' promoting Korean tourism in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Lee Young-geun, head of the International Marketing Office at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "We plan to conduct targeted marketing that combines the growing interest in Korean Wave in the Middle East with attracting investment in tourism ventures," adding, "We will continuously nurture PTS (Private Travel Seller), experts in luxury Korean visit products within local travel agencies, to maximize demand for Korean visits in the Middle East region."

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