"With the Power of 'K-Culture,' Targeting 1 Million American Tourists This Year"

"The goal this year is to attract more than one million American tourists to Korea. We plan to actively utilize the Korean Wave, including K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty."

Kim Jang-sil, President of the Korea Tourism Organization, stated this on the 19th (local time) during a meeting with correspondents in Manhattan, New York. He said, "As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korea-US alliance, the relationship between the two countries is showing a more friendly atmosphere than ever, leading to an increasing trend of Americans visiting Korea."

Visiting the U.S. as part of the 'K-Tourism Roadshow' held around Manhattan to celebrate the '2023~2024 Visit Korea Year,' President Kim emphasized the importance of securing the tourism market post-pandemic. He highlighted plans to fuse the appeal of Korean culture, represented by BTS and Squid Game, with tourism to create new storytelling.

The Korea Tourism Organization’s target for inbound tourists this year is 10 million, which is about 60% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019 (17.502 million). However, for the U.S., thanks to the recent Korean Wave boom and strengthened bilateral relations, it is expected to quickly recover to the 2019 level (1.044 million visitors).

President Kim explained, "The U.S. has been a major source of visitors to Korea even before the pandemic," adding, "Last year, despite COVID-19, over 540,000 Americans visited Korea, making it the largest inbound market." Among the 3.19 million visitors last year, Americans accounted for 17%. Furthermore, by June this year, 513,000 American tourists had already visited Korea, approaching last year’s annual level.

He attributed the increase in tourists to the friendlier atmosphere in Korea-US relations than ever before and the strong local interest in K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty. He noted, "The Korean Wave is now shifting from popular culture to lifestyle culture," emphasizing, "The initial Korean Wave led by K-pop has evolved into the 'Korean Wave 4.0 era,' which includes lifestyle culture such as food and beauty." He added that it is necessary to encourage repeat visits by foreign tourists through attractive storytelling rather than abstract introductions of tourist sites. To this end, the strategy includes hosting large-scale K-pop concerts and strengthening storytelling that reflects Korea’s history and culture.

While China, the 'population giant,' has recently shown the highest growth rate in inbound tourists worldwide, President Kim also pointed out the growing North American market. The recovery rate of flights after the pandemic is also highest for the U.S. In particular, North American tourists tend to spend more per person, aligning with President Kim’s three goals: "to have them visit more often, stay longer, and spend more." Currently, the Korea Tourism Organization aims to reach 30 million inbound tourists by 2027, with American tourists expected to grow to 3 million.

Starting today, the Korea Tourism Organization is holding Korea Week in partnership with Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan, targeting local consumers. On this day, a K-pop dance competition was held at Times Square with the participation of OneMillion. The following day, a business consultation and Korea tourism briefing were held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, inviting 200 key figures from the U.S. travel industry. Korean War veterans and their descendants, as well as the Campagna couple who helped Korean tourists during the Buffalo snowstorm, were also invited. In addition to the event in New York in July, a related event linked with K-CON is being prepared in Los Angeles (L.A.) in August.

President Kim stated, "Korea-US relations have entered a new phase this year, marked by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit," adding, "By holding the K-Tourism Roadshow in the U.S. and promoting cultural exchange, we will invite Korean War veterans and their descendants from the U.S. to Korea to share the values of achieving the triple crown of freedom, democracy, and cultural maturity."

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