Attracting 20 Million Foreign Tourists... 'Korea Grand Sale' Opens

'2024 Korea Visit Year' First Event
Discount Benefits on Flights, Accommodation, and Shopping Until February 29

"We hope that foreign tourists visiting Korea can create special memories not only through shopping but also by experiencing the attractive ‘K-Culture’ unique to Korea, through the first event of the ‘2024 Visit Korea Year,’ the ‘Korea Grand Sale.’"

Minister Yoo In-chon is speaking at the tourism industry strategy meeting held on the 23rd at the Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Center, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 11th that, together with the Visit Korea Year Committee, it will hold the first event of the ‘2024 Visit Korea Year,’ the ‘2024 Korea Grand Sale,’ until February 29. Minister Yoo In-chon visited the opening ceremony held at Ondream Society in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, and welcomed foreign tourists with these remarks.

The ‘Korea Grand Sale’ is an event planned to attract foreign tourists and promote tourism consumption during the low season for inbound tourism in January and February. Based on the participation of various private companies in sectors such as airlines, accommodation, shopping, food and beverage, experiences, and convenience services, it has been held since 2011 as Korea’s representative shopping culture tourism festival.

At this year’s opening ceremony, over 80 people including key participating company representatives and foreign press attended. Videos of major K-Culture experience events were screened, and the ‘One Million’ dance group, featuring choreographer Lia Kim, performed a ‘K-Dance’ show.

Before and after the opening ceremony, Minister Yoo and Lee Boo-jin, Chairperson of the Visit Korea Year Committee, met with key participating company representatives to listen to their vivid on-site opinions. Prior to the ceremony, a roundtable was held with representatives from Jeju Air, Lotte Department Store, Able C&C, Ottogi, Shinsegae Department Store, and GS Retail to hear their views on the preparation process for K-tourism content experience events preferred by foreigners and the reactions of foreign tourists.

They then visited Olive Young Myeongdong Town Store and Tony Moly Myeongdong Cathedral Store, which reopened last November and attract an average of about 3,000 visitors daily (90% of whom are foreign tourists), to check the shopping status of foreign tourists and the immediate VAT refund service, and to extend a welcome greeting to foreign tourists.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 11th that, as the first event of the '2024 Visit Korea Year' organized by the Visit Korea Committee, the '2024 Korea Grand Sale' will be held until February 29.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

This year’s ‘Korea Grand Sale’ is themed ‘Your Special Moment in Korea’ and features participation from over 1,650 companies across various fields, the highest number since its inception in 2011. It offers not only diverse discount benefits but also K-content experience events that can only be enjoyed in Korea.

Domestic airlines including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Jeju Air, among a total of nine Korean airlines, offer up to 91% discounts and additional service benefits on 145 routes from overseas to Korea. Accommodation promotions involving Lotte Hotels & Resorts, Shilla Stay, Agoda, and others provide up to 80% room discounts as well as Korea Grand Sale exclusive accommodation packages that include transportation, experience, and shopping benefits.

Offline shopping benefits are also abundantly prepared. Shopping promotions involving duty-free shops (Lotte, Shilla, Shilla I’Park, Shinsegae, Hyundai), department stores (Galleria, Lotte, Shinsegae), large marts (Lotte Mart, E-Mart), and outlets (Doota Mall, Hyundai City Outlet Dongdaemun Branch) offer up to 60% discounts at major locations nationwide including Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, along with gift certificates and shopping support funds worth up to 700,000 KRW depending on purchase amounts. Additional services such as membership upgrades and souvenir giveaways will also be provided to enhance the shopping enjoyment of foreign tourists in Korea.

Collaboration with credit card companies is also underway. Foreign tourists using UnionPay cards who register their membership information via QR code during the event period will receive a 20% discount coupon usable at all affiliated stores in Korea and immediate discounts at over 300 food and beverage establishments nationwide.

‘Korea Grand Sale Welcome Centers’ will be set up in popular foreign tourist areas such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Seongsu, where ‘coupon books’ containing benefits from participating companies will be distributed, and purchase verification prize events will be held to stimulate consumption in local commercial districts.

In particular, during the 50-day event period, K-Culture experience events have been strengthened and the number of participants expanded compared to last year to help foreign tourists create special memories. Various experience programs and discount benefits are prepared, including the ‘One Million Dance Studio Dance Class’ and the ‘K-Town For You Vocal Training Class.’

Shopping and tourism benefits are also provided in Gangwon Province, where the ‘2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games’ will be held. Ski products and accommodation discount events are organized for foreigners visiting Gangwon in connection with ‘Gangwon 2024.’

Detailed information on the main benefits and other event-related details can be found on the Korea Grand Sale official website.

Minister Yoo In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, “Starting with this Korea Grand Sale event, we will kick off efforts to achieve 20 million foreign tourists this year.”

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