Declaration of Visit Korea Years

35th Tourism Day celebrated with determination to attract 10 miln tourists through the project

The designation of 2010-2012 as Visit Korea Years was declared at the 35th Tourism Day ceremony on Oct. 14 at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul.
Some 800 people in the tourism related industries and government officials led by Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon and foreign diplomats in Seoul attended the event.
Among the dignitaries were Chairman Shin Joong-mok of the Korea Tourism Association, Chairman Park Sam-koo, of Kumho-Asiana Group and also chairman of the Visit Korea Year, Chang Seung-woo, chairman of the 2012 Yeosu Expo Organizing Committee, Rep. La Kyung-won of the ruling Grand National Party, and Rep. Go Heung-gil, chairman of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, among others.
At the ceremony, a total of 133 people received medals and citations for their contribution to the growth of the tourism industry including President Chang Kyung-jak of Lotte Hotel who won the Industrial Merit Gold Tower medal.
Minister Yu said in his speech that he was glad to be at the event where the Visit Korea Year was declared which starts from 2010 and ends in 2012, which is designed to step up the efforts to expand foreign tourist arrivals in Korea to 10 million. He said the government will be behind the program, along with the support of the public and the tourism industry.
This "Visit Korea Year"is particularly special as it will last for three years. We have the duty to continuously talk about the attractiveness of Korea as a tourism destination for the 3 years, he said. Not only must we attract foreign tourists to Korea, but we must make them fall in love with this country so that they would want to return to Korea. To achieve this, we ought to begin a thorough preparation immediately, the minister went on.
We should publicize the tourism resources of Korea to foreign visitors whenever we have the chance, the minister said. He went on to say that tourism is a happiness industry.
Its value lies in the way it provides happiness to the people of Korea, as well as those who visit Korea.
Through your work in tourism, you are adding happiness to Korea, as well as building up our cultural character.
Chairman Shin Joong-mok of the Korea Tourism Association said in his speech that the Korean tourism industry is faced with hard times such as that never seen before. High oil prices, and financial turmoil triggered by the U.S. financial crisis and the sluggish domestic economy took tolls on tourism. He, however, said the industry can overcome the problems as it can be an opportunity to revitalize the tourism industry.
The current government is showing the strongest intention to foster the tourism industry into a future national strategic industry though decisions like designating 3 continuous years from 2010 t0 2012 as Visit Korea Year.
Chairman Park of the Visit Korea Year said in his speech that he is delighted to head the tourism promotion program, a great tourism project.
We have to showcase Korea as tourism destination and increase the number of inbound tourists by activating tourism infrastructure, he said.
Calling the tourism industry labor-intensive and high-profited industry at the same time, strengthening the industry will help increasing the number of job and solving the current economic crisis.
Rep. Go Heung-gil said now is the time for our country to contrive to improve our tourism industry, keeping up with the pace of the neighboring countries whose tourism policies are changing rapidly. For this to happen, the tourism industry should make structural reform and renovate appropriate for this age of tourism so that it can accommodate counter-strategies and policies properly and further pursue such tourism as luxury goods tourism which enhances the quality of life. nw

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports Yu In-chon delivers a speech during the Tourism Day anniversary event.

A scene from the 35th Tourism Day ceremony on Oct. 14. Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports Yu In-chon, 2nd R, Park Sam-koo, chairman of the Visit Korea Year, 2nd L. First Lady Kim Yoon-ok, 3rd L., who was named as honorary chairwoman of the Visit Korea Year. Actor Bae Yong-jun, 3rd R, was named as ambassador for the Visit Korea Year. A scene from the 35th Tourism Day ceremony.