Green Growth Through Tourism Industry

Major theme of Korea Travel Conference 2009 with MCST Minister Yu In-chon

The Korea Travel Conference 2009, which showed off Korea's green growth future with some 2,000 people related to the tourism business both at home and abroad in attendance was held at CECO in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province April 2-3.
The South Gyeongsang Provincial Government and the Korea Tourism Association Central Federation co-hosted the event with the theme of "Green Growth Through The Tourism Industry," to show the direction of the tourism industry's future activities to cooperate with the national Green Growth vision and discuss various ideas on finding next generation growth engines for tourism.
In particular, the conference had a special session conducted by the UN World Tourism Organization, in which models of successful cases of how the tourism industry could lead green growth and how eco-tourism is helpful to local economies, generating great economic benefits, were presented. The participants discussed efforts to help develop the world tourism industry.
Minister Yu In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) held a meeting with tourism ministers from a number of countries including Mali and Eritrea and the vice minister of tourism from Kazakhstan, and explained Korea's major projects dedicated to the green growth including the four river revival project, the construction of a zero carbon ecological cultural city project, and other diverse policies being pushed by the government.
The travel conference first began as the tourism conference of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Seoul branch, but it was upgraded to the Korea Travel Conference in 1995 and has been held annually ever since, taking its position as the largest tourism event for travel, air carriers, hotel industries and foreign tourism agencies.
This year the Royal Ancestral Rites will be held at the Jongmyo Royal shrine in Seoul on Sunday, May 3. These are religious ceremonies that honor Korea's former kings and have been performed for over 600 years. The Royal Ancestral Rites, as well as the accompanying music (Jongmyo Jeryeak), have officially been designated an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO and are one of the most important ceremonies held in Korea.
In the past, the Royal Ancestral Rites were held on the first full moon of each season with a final ceremony held on the last full moon of the year. However, these days the ceremony is performed only once a year on the first Sunday in May.
The rituals are performed almost exactly as they were 600 years ago. During the ceremony, the priests, dressed in ritual costumes, make offerings of food and wine to the spirits of the ancestors. Music is played to accompany the rituals on traditional instruments, and dances are performed representing the forces of yin and yang. This year, the Royal Ancestral Rites will take place from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. From 9:30-11:30am, rites will be performed at the Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, the spiritual resting place for the kings and queens who ruled before the start of the Joseon dynasty and for kings who were unable to have children. The Jeongjeon Hall, the main hall of the Jongmyo Shrine, is where almost all of the kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty have been enshrined, and rituals will be held there from 1:00-3:00 p.m. From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. a grand procession, known as the Eogahaengnyeol Parade, will take place from Gyeongbokgung Palace, proceeding along Jongno (one of the main streets in Seoul), before arriving at the Jongmyo Royal Shrine. The parade and the ritual ceremonies are a spectacular sight and provide a fascinating glimpse into Korea's cultural heritage. nw

Minister Yu In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism talks with participants at the Korea Travel Conference 2009.