"Luxury Tourism" Now Invites You to Korea

Korea Tourism Organization and Virtuoso Partnership to Target North America and China

Focusing on High-Value Markets with Regional Stay-Type Content

Upgrading Local Experiences in Andong and Gyeongju

Plans to Commercialize Traditional House Stays and Temple Cuisine

The Korea Tourism Organization is taking steps to promote luxury tourism. This strategy aims to move beyond a proximity-focused structure and shift toward a high-value-added market characterized by longer stays and larger spending.

On the 17th, at Sebitseom in Seoul, Park Seonghyuk, President of the Korea Tourism Organization (left in the photo), and Matthew Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, are taking a commemorative photo at the strategic business agreement (MOU) for promoting luxury tourism to Korea. Photo by Heeyoon Kim

According to the Korea Tourism Organization on April 24, the organization has signed a strategic business agreement (MOU) with Virtuoso, the world’s largest luxury travel network, to boost inbound luxury tourism. The two parties will jointly develop Korean-style luxury tourism content, focusing on global marketing, data analysis, and product development.

Virtuoso is a network comprising over 1,200 travel agencies and 22,000 travel advisors across 58 countries. It commands an annual market of 35 billion dollars, targeting approximately 1.7 million high-net-worth households. The global luxury tourism market is also expected to grow at an average annual rate of 8.4% through 2032. Capitalizing on the Virtuoso Symposium, which was held in Northeast Asia for the first time, the Korea Tourism Organization is actively working to allow the market to experience Korea firsthand.

The target market is clear. While current inbound tourists to Korea are predominantly from nearby countries such as Japan and China, the organization plans to focus on expanding the number of North American and European visitors, who tend to stay longer and spend more. In the luxury segment, North America and China are considered the key markets, with India also viewed as a promising market.

Key Indicators of Inbound Tourism. Source: Korea Tourism Data Lab

The two parties will jointly promote the "Discover Luxury Korea" project through 2029. By sharing tourism data and developing customized products, they expect to generate at least 413.5 billion won in economic impact over the next five years.

The implementation strategy is also concrete. Virtuoso advisors will be invited for familiarization tours and supported in designing customized tourism routes in Korea. The aim is to enhance the competitiveness of offerings by reflecting the preferences of high-net-worth individuals.

The content will focus on "stay-type experiences." Core products will be developed around complex experiences in Andong and Gyeongju, including traditional house accommodations, cultural performances, local cuisine, and temple food. The strategy is to differentiate by highlighting Korea’s unique blend of tradition and modernity.

This direction aligns with the vision of President Seonghyuk Park. He stated, "Staying a night at the Ryu Seongryong Historic House in Andong and experiencing the life of a nobleman is on my bucket list," identifying traditional house stays and temple cuisine as core content. He explained that the competitive edge lies in stay-based experiences that combine traditional culture, food, and performances, rather than simple high-priced consumption.

On the 17th, at Sebitseom in Seoul, Park Seonghyuk, President of the Korea Tourism Organization (left in the photo), and Matthew Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, posed for a commemorative photo during the strategic business agreement (MOU) to promote luxury tourism in Korea. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

President Park stated, "It is important for Korea to be recognized as a world-class luxury travel destination," adding, "Through this partnership, we will further advance differentiated tourism products and present original content." He further emphasized, "Since North American and European tourists tend to stay longer and spend more, we must actively attract them."

The product strategy will continue. The plan is to continuously develop content that combines temple cuisine, local gastronomy, and traditional performances, supply this to the Virtuoso network, and support advisors in designing Korean-style luxury travel routes.

Virtuoso also highly assessed Korea’s potential. Chairman Matthew Upchurch remarked, "Korea is a destination with both rich cultural heritage and a modern identity," and expressed his intention to "strengthen storytelling and high-quality travel experiences through this collaboration."

Luxury tourism goes beyond mere consumption and is also closely linked to sustainability. Premium tourism revenue contributes to cultural heritage preservation and community reinvestment, and luxury travelers act as "opinion leaders," sharing their experiences and leading travel trends.

President Park stated, "Beyond simply increasing the number of visitors, we aim to achieve qualitative growth in the tourism industry by attracting tourists who stay longer and spend more."

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