Keeping on Evolving
Korean Wave

MCT plans to launch Korea's tourism brand, to be unveiled in Korea and abroad

Korea needs to utilize themes, based on 'Han'(Korean) styles, including traditional Korean wardrobe and Korean houses, to spread and further upgrade the Hallyu or Korean Wave, Kim Chan, director-general of Tourism Bureau at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, says.
"Tourism brands will be officially launched in major cities abroad in the first half of this year, and Korea Week will be held to make the most of Korean-style themes as part of efforts to expand Korean Wave,"he said in an interview with NewsWorld. The following are the excerpts of the interview.
Question: What are the topics for the 2007 Korea Travel Conference (KTC) that is scheduled for late February and what effects can be expected'
The 2007 Korea Travel Conference will offer a meaningful opportunity to all of tourism professionals who get together in one place to discuss priority issues and ways for development and to facilitate business activities in the field of tourism.
The annual conference will also be a venue to facilitate smooth communication among the central government, industry and local government, to network with each other for information exchange and to understand and discuss tourism-related topics.
In particular, the conference will feature diverse programs that will offer a practical help as well as enjoyment to about 1,000 tourism professionals from the government, relevant organizations, industry, local government, media and academic circles These programs include:
- A Briefing on tourism policies by Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) and presentation on Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)'s work programs planned in 2007 ;
- A Workshop where KTO overseas chiefs, industry, and local government officials discuss strategies and priorities to attract 7 million foreign tourists from each market segments and explore ways of laying out a common solution ;
- A Seminar on ways of promoting free and individual travelers (FIT) and invigorating the Incheon tourism industry;
The first Tourism Job Fair for college students that will provide them an opportunity to consult with 23 tourism companies ;
- Familiarization tours and Business Consulting for foreign buyers to provide business opportunities for domestic tourism industries and to invigorate inbound tourism.
KTC is expected to serve as a platform to strengthen international cooperation and to share international tourism trends as Dr. Taleb Rifai, deputy secretary general of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Mr. Shao Qi Wei, chairman of China National Tourism Administration (CNAT), and Koji Shinmachi, chairman of Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), are scheduled to deliver a keynote speech and present lectures respectively.
This conference will likely help participants collaborate each other for the development of the Korean tourism industry so as to contribute to the formulation of business networking and the promotion of Incheon, an emerging international city, as a new tourism and convention destination.
Q: What steps do you think are necessary to make Incheon a tourism hub of Northeast Asia?
A: Incheon has an access advantage in attracting foreign tourists with the Incheon International Airport and an Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal.
The local tourism industry has so far taken a back seat in terms of investments compared to other industries, but things are changing.
Incheon is now carrying out diverse projects such as the establishment of Incheon Tourism Organization, Songdo Convensia, Cheongna leisure/sport complex and designation of the China Town area within the economic special zone for the development of Incheon tourism.
The government plans to provide support to Incheon, which is expected to play roles in realizing a goal of attracting 10 million foreign tourists by 2010.
Q: What is the significance and value of Jeju's hosting the 2007 ASTA International Destination Expo, to be held from March 25-29?
A: The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is one of the largest,
influential travel associations in the world with a membership of 26,000 from 170 countries, which is responsible for handling American tourists to all parts of the world.
In 1983, Korea hosted the ASTA World Congress, which was a significant momentum for Korea to fully join competition in the stage of the global tourism.
Countries have been involved in a fierce competition bidding for the host of the ASTA International Destination Expo(IDE). Jeju, which has promoted its bid for the 2007 ASTA IDE for four years following its submission of the application in 2001, finally beat out Istanbul of Turkey and Lyon of France in February 2005.
The 2007 ASTA IDE will bring together about 1,000 people, including travel agents from the American region and other parts of the world. ASTA Chairman Ms. Cheryl Hudak and Pacific-Asia Travel Association (PATA) Chairman Mr. Peter de Jong will deliver a keynote speech during the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively, while the 2007 ASTA IDE will also offer such events as diverse, in-depth seminars on the latest tourism trends,
a tourism fair designed to attract tourists from the American market, and business negotiations and networking events between Korean and American business buyers. The 2007 ASTA IDE is expected to gain the momentum for Korea to develop a solid foundation in the global tourism stage as well as for Jeju to enhance its profile as an international tourism destination and invigorate the local convention industry.
The government is making seamless preparations for hosting the extravaganza event by beefing up publicity activities designed to meet a goal of attracting 6.5 million foreign tourists in 2007.
Q: What government support steps are in place to make Jeju a Free International City?
A: Effective 1 July 2006, Jeju province was renamed Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. In terms of tourism, Jeju has been granted an authority to permit casinos, while all revenues from tourism funds of the island are to be transferred to the self-governing government. Guidelines for opening and registering tourism businesses are made in accordance with guidelines provided by the provincial government. It means that the future of the Jeju tourism industry is up to the island itself.
I understand that the government's designation of last year as the 'Visit Jeju'Year has much contributed to increasing the number of Korean and international tourists. The government plans to consider additional support steps, including an overhaul of systems, designed to evolve Jeju as an international tourist destination.
Q: What benefits will be created for the Korean tourist industry the Hallyu, or Korean Wave that hits Japan and Southeast Asian countries and what steps are in place to promote the phenomenon on a continuous basis?
A: Korean Wave has a direct impact on the domestic tourism industry; boosting the volume of foreign arrivals. The number of foreign tourists to Hallyu attractions such as the Daejanggeum Theme Park and Nami Island, known for the location of the world-renowned TV drama 'Winter Sonata'reached about 490,000 during last year,
while foreign tourists to Korea benefiting such tourist products as the Ulsan Summer Festival numbered some 20,000.
The Korean phenomenon has an indirect impact on the domestic tourism industry: invigorating provincial tourism industries by decentralizing foreign tourists converging into Seoul and other regions. Celebrating the Visit Jeju Year last year, Jeju developed such tourist products as Korean-Chinese-Japanese entertainers'golf competition and tour programs related to the opening ceremony of the Hallyu Expo in Asia and the shooting of the movie 'Tae Wang Sa Shin Gi'In other locations, tourist programs such as the Ulsan Summer Festival and those related to Bigeum and Cheongsan Islands, known for shooting 'Waltz of Spring'made their debuts.
Korean Wave turns out to have enhanced the brand image of other industries including medical and educational industries and it also has had a virtue cycle of impact on the spread of the phenomenon and convergence with other industries.
Korea needs to carry out tasks related to differentiating marketing strategies of each market by discovering the inherent traditional Korean vestiges and upgrading their contents beyond Hallyu marketing strategy of publicizing movie and drama locations as well as by taking advantage of themes, based on Han (Korean) styles, including traditional Korean costume and Korean houses, to spread and further upgrade the Korean phenomenon.
Tourism brands will be declared at the centers of each foreign region in the first half of this year, and Korea Week will be held to make most of the Korean-style themes as part of efforts to diffuse the Korean Wave.
Q: Would you elaborate on the status of the domestic inbound and outbound tourism industry during 2006?
A: Inbound arrivals reached 6.16 million, a meager 2.2 percent rise over 2005 due to the weak demand, caused by territorial disputes over Dokto Islands and the continued appreciation of the won. On the other hand, the number of outbound travelers surged 15.2 percent over a year earlier to 11.6 million.
Q: Would you introduce publicity activities designed to promote Korea's tourism image abroad?
A: The government sharply raised the 2007 budget to 33.4 billion won for promoting Korean tourism abroad to cope with lack of understanding among foreigners on the Korean tourism industry. It plans to maximize the effects of publicity activities by linking them to brands.
It will continue to develop tourist products linked to mega-events like the organization of the B-Boy International Competition in Korea and 'Fun Ski"Competition while strengthening publicity activities to enhance the profile of the Korean tourism industry.
Q: Would you tell our readers about the "Visit Gyeongsangbuk-do Year?
A: MIC's designation of the year 2007 as the "Visit Gyeongsangbuk-do is in its fourth year following Gangwon Province, Gyeonggi Province and Jeju.
The Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial government has selected 30 projects in six areas under the catchphrase elcome 2007'to capitalize on the Visit Gyeongsangbuk-do Year. It plans to put on the market differentiating theme tourist products as 52 Gyeongsangbuk-do weekend tour courses, special tour programs linked to KTX rides and such themes as decades-old traditional Korean houses and discovery of ancestral roots.
On the calendar a familiarization tour targeting Korean and foreign journalists, travel writers and travel agencies, an overseas tour explanation session, domestic and international tourism fairs and Hallyu concerts: Tong Bang Xin Qi,/Shinwha/Seven concerts slated for April, Rain concert in May, and Andre Kim fashion show and Hallyu star concerts in October.
Twenty-three cities and counties will hold their respective days to promote their own tourism resources, while promoting the Visit Gyeongsangbuk-do Year in conjunction with the organization of Gyeongju World Culture Expo.
The provincial government is striving to enhance its tourism profile and serve it as a turning point to transform the local tourism industry into a futuristic one.
Q: What steps are in place to make ski tours in Gangwon Province a tourism brand?
A: The 'Fun Ski & Snow Festival'has attracted a total of 55,000 tourists from Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore, and the southern region of China since 1998.
However, a warning has been sounding as Japan has turned to the 'visit Japan Campaign'to aggressively attract inbound tourists and China plans to build ski slopes. Korea's price competitive edge over the Japanese tourism industry has been worsening due to the continued appreciation of the Korean currency.
The provincial government plans to develop such events as beginners'ski classes, skiing-related concerts while stepping up marketing activities via diverse channels, exhibitions and homepages of travel agencies.
It is striving to establish skiing tours in Gangwon Province as the province's tourist brand.
Q : Would you speak about the plans to boost inbound arrivals?
A: The recent appreciation of won ― a 30.8 percent jump over 2004 ― has become a stumbling block in boosting inbound tourists. Prices and staying expenses in Korea ranked the second and third in the world, imposing a burden to foreign tourists and domestic tourism industry.
Q: Would you speak about the plans to boost inbound arrivals?
A: Even though it is not easy in a short period of time to solve the high-cost structure of the domestic tourism industry, local governments, KTO and travel agencies will build up a cooperative network on the development of new products, publicity and marketing with a focus on developing value-added products based on new themes.
Under a plan to unveil Korea's tourism brands across the world during this year, the government will establish a system to deliver Korea's tourism images in a systematic and consistent manner. It will concentrate on publicizing them on prestigious global media organizations and on-line channels with an increase of 20 billion won in the overseas publicity budget.
The government plans to boost inbound tourists from Korea's mainstay markets ― Japan and China ― by making most of diverse exchange projects celebrating the "Korea-China Exchange Year," "400th Anniversary of Joseon's Dispatch of Diplomats to Japan,"and "Korea-Japan-China Exchange Year."Q: Would you go into details of a plan to promote the domestic tourism industry?
A: The government is working hard to remove institutional discriminations against the tourism industry compared to the manufacturing industry.
Last December, the government has announced steps to strengthen competitiveness of the tourism industry, including 62 tasks for providing support for the industry. I think that comprehensive steps, including a cut in taxes and fees, the relaxation of diverse restrictions and expanded financial support, will build up an institutional foundation for making a new leap forward.
The government will make regular checks to make sure that the 62 tasks can be implemented without a hitch during this year, while it will sound out a wide range of views from tourism industry, local government and academic circles to take additional steps.
It will make an extensive overhaul into the Act on the Promotion of the Tourism Industry, which forms a foundation for promoting the industry. The government is studying a plan to enact a replacement, tentatively named "the Act on the Tourism Industry"so that the tourism industry can gain benefits according to changes of the tourism environment. nw

Jeju's tourist attractions will be put in the global limelight as Korea's representative tourist destination will host the ASTA International Destination Expo (IDE) from March 25 to March 29.

Kim Chan, director-general of Tourism Bureau at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,

Incheon International Airport, a gateway to Korea

The scenic night view of Busan's landmark Gwangan Grand Bridge

Hallyu star Dong Bang Shin Gi

Hallyu star Rain

Hallyu star BoA

Hallyu star Song Seung-heon