Opening the Era of 20 Million Visitors to Korea with Aggressive Marketing

The number of foreign visitors to Korea last year was approximately 11 million, which is 63% of the 17.5 million visitors in 2019 before the spread of COVID-19. The scale of visits from the United States (103.6%), Singapore (141.4%), Australia (114.4%), Germany (109.9%), and France (120.2%) was larger than in 2019. On the other hand, China (33%), Japan (70%), and Southeast Asia (77%), which account for a large proportion, showed slower recovery speeds.

China has lifted the restrictions on group tours to Korea for the first time in 6 years and 5 months, raising expectations that this will be a boon for the domestic travel, hotel, and duty-free industries. On the 11th, foreign tourists including Chinese and Japanese were strolling the streets of Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization aim for a rebound through customized, close marketing tailored to the growth trends and characteristics of each country. They will conduct aggressive marketing worldwide this year with the goal of opening the era of 20 million inbound tourists and diversifying the market. The 'Korea Tourism Mega Roadshow' will be held in twenty-five cities around the world to promote Korean tourism, and new promotional offices will be established in ten countries with potential. Minister Yoo In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "The importance of individual travelers in the inbound tourism market is increasing," and added, "We will establish specific customized attraction strategies by region and target and take a decisive step."

The Korea Tourism Mega Roadshow is a large-scale event targeting potential inbound tourists and the travel industry, featuring Korean culture and tourism experiences, sales of tourism products, business-to-business consultations, and media promotions. Last year, its potential was sufficiently proven in fifteen cities including Tsutaya Bookstore in Tokyo, Rockefeller Center in New York, ICONSIAM in Bangkok, Huanchiu River Shopping Mall in Shanghai, and the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year, the number of host cities will expand to twenty-five. Paris, Atlanta, New Delhi, Ulaanbaatar, Sydney, and Manila will be added to the existing promotional cities. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official said, "We plan to promote the project with the goal of one million visitors and 12,500 business consultations."

The promotional directions vary by city. In Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, men and middle-aged groups are identified as potential inbound tourists. Many programs for men, such as men's fashion and e-sports, will be launched. In Shanghai and Guangzhou, the youth generation is targeted with Korea's latest tourist spots and differentiated courses, while in Hanoi, immersive experiences, camping, and gourmet food attract Hallyu fans and families respectively. In Paris, the atmosphere for inbound tourism will be created at Westfield Forum des Halles, one of Europe's largest shopping malls, and in Ulaanbaatar, educational travel will be promoted targeting teenagers who prefer Hallyu.

China has lifted the restrictions on group tours to Korea for the first time in 6 years and 5 months, raising expectations that this will be a boon for the domestic travel, hotel, and duty-free industries. On the 11th, foreign tourists lined up in long queues to enter a duty-free shop in downtown Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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Preparations are handled by overseas branches of the Korea Tourism Organization in thirty-two cities across twenty-two countries. The inbound market is segmented by region, age, and theme to design customized close marketing. The framework has already been established. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism broadly divides the market into four categories. Japan and China are 'mature markets.' Last year's number of foreign visitors (about 5.715 million) was the largest, but overseas travel sentiment has not yet fully recovered. The ministry conducts marketing targeting special-purpose travelers such as women in their 20s and 30s who are highly interested in Hallyu, men, and amateur athletes. Additionally, it promotes regional visits by leveraging the characteristics of frequent inbound experiences and various short-distance flights, and promotes Korea's unique lifestyle online.

Southeast Asia is a 'growth market' due to its high pre-COVID-19 growth rate (annual average 11.2% from 2010 to 2019) and high recovery rate (81.1%) after COVID-19. The main targets are families and Hallyu fans. In particular, families accounted for more than half (58.8%) of the six major countries in 2019. Based on this, the ministry extensively promotes experiential products for accompanying family types such as children, adolescents, and middle-aged groups. Furthermore, it supports content companies and travel agencies to develop inbound products themed around Hallyu content filming locations and Korean food factory tours.

The Americas and Europe are grouped as 'emerging markets.' Although the number of foreign visitors last year (about 2.62 million) was not large, there are many long-term travelers and the recovery rate (90.1%) is steep. The main inbound tourists are overseas Koreans, Asians, and middle-aged and older adults over 50. The ministry strengthens promotions targeting K-culture enthusiasts and family travelers accordingly. An official said, "Long-distance travelers tend to stay longer and travel to multiple cities together," adding, "We plan to actively introduce joint tourism products with neighboring countries such as Japan, and themed products targeting specific groups such as temple stays, hiking, vegetarianism, remote work at vacation spots, and art fairs."

On the 24th, group tourists from China are arriving at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. On this day, to commemorate the 31st anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, the Korea Tourism Organization held a welcoming event for Chinese group tourists. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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The Middle East region is a 'high value-added market.' Although the number of foreign visitors last year (about 31,000) was small, the recovery rate (88.1%) was high and the length of stay was also long. The per capita expenditure was also relatively high at $2,559. The ministry places its hopes on 'Alam Arabi Korea (Arab World in Korea),' which will be launched next month. It is a Middle East inbound tourism business council involving major companies with luxury tourism infrastructure such as department stores, hotels, medical institutions, and restaurants. They will work together to enhance the convenience of Korean tourism considering the characteristics of Middle Eastern culture.

In addition, the ministry will establish Korean tourism promotional offices using local agencies in ten countries with high inbound potential based on air routes, hinterland population, and inbound growth trends, even though there are no overseas branches of the Korea Tourism Organization. These include Sweden, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. It is expected to serve as a foothold for market information provision, local exchanges, new market development, and market feasibility verification for diversifying the inbound market.

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