A Roaring Year for Tourism
Korea Tourist Association holds New Year's reception to invigorate tourism
The Korea Tourist Association (Chairman Chung Woon-shik) held a new year's reception at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul on January 10 where over 1,000 industry people and dignitaries were gathered including government officials, journalists, and foreign diplomats to exchange greetings. Culture-Tourism Minister Chung Dong-chea and President Kim Jong-min of the Korea National Tourism Organization were among the participants.
Chairman Chung of the association opened the event with greetings to all participants with thanks to all those in the tourism industry for the success they achieved last year and especially to Minister Chung for including the tourism industry in the category of foreign trade with many benefits to the industry, enabling it to make a large contribution to the nation's exports. He also thanked members of the National Assembly for their contribution to the growth of the industry last year, especially, the Culture-Tourism Committee. He recalled that he had a meeting with heads of tourism organizations affiliated with the association and Rep. Lee Mi-kyung, chairman of the committee in March last year and agreed to make 2005, the initial year for the revival of the tourism industry.
He is very proud of the industry achieving over 6 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country, overcoming various negative factors including those with neighboring countries.
Also, we opened the age of 10 million outbound tourists last year and the 5-day workweek which saw 400 million domestic tourists crossing the country last year, Chung said, adding that both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines played a great role.
The association chairman said he hoped that this year would see a tourism exchange between South and North Korea flourish, overcoming various difficulties, recognizing the presence of Chairman of Hyundai Asan Hyun Jeong-eun, which is engaged in sending South Korean tourists to Mt. Geumgang in North Korea, assuring that the tourism industry in general will have a good year this year, helped by the improving economic conditions. The government, too, is all it can to make Korea a hub of tourism in Northeast Asia, developing a number of tourism zones in the country to deliver its support allowed following the designation of the tourism industry as part of the export industry. Foreign tourists'arrival in the country is projected to reach 10 million by 2010 under the support provided by the government and efforts by the industry itself.
Culture-Tourism Minister Chung said the tourism industry had gone through many difficulties last year, competing with Japan, China and countries in Southeast Asia to attract tourists and tourist deficit recording the highest in history. But, on the other hand, it was a good year, too, as the saying goes that "crisis opens opportunity" The tourist arrivals in the country surpassed the 6 million mark last year helped by the APEC Summit in Busan, and the popularity of Korean cultural products, films in particular in Japan and Southeast Asia. He said Korea is at the threshold of seeing its tourist arrivals reach 10 million by 2010.
The Ministry has designated this year as the initial year for the tourism industry's another take-off by attracting many Chinese tourists and developing numerous tourism facilities including inexpensive lodging facilities to do all it can for the industry, the minister said, adding systems for the tourism industry will be improved this year.
President Roh Moo-hyun said in his new year's address Koreans can do all they want to accomplish. "We have been making miracles, like eating rice fish,"he stressed. This year should be an important year for making a happy and strong Korea through culture and tourism with the help and cooperation from all people in the tourism industry. nw

Dignitaries and tourism industry people cut cakes at the new year reception hosted by the Korea Tourist Association. Culture-Tourism Minister Chung Dong-chea attended the event Jan. 10.