By Kim Rahn
Restaurants and shops in Gangnam are attracting more foreign customers these days as the southern district in Seoul is emerging as one of the “it-destinations” among tourists to Korea.
The growing popularity reflects aggressive brand marketing and promotional activities targeting foreign tourists. District Mayor Shin Yeon-hee, 63, has led the campaign to market Gangnam since she took office a year ago.
“Gangnam is a dynamic and appealing place where tradition and high tech coexist in harmony. I wanted more people to learn more about the charms of Gangnam, one of the most attractive tourist and business districts. That’s why I created a marketing department to promote it,” Shin said in an interview.
The promotional campaign has certainly worked. According to a recent survey on 100 owners of shops and restaurants in Apgujeong and other key entertainment and shopping zones in the district, more than 70 percent said they saw the number of foreign tourists increase during the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year.
“They also said the number of Chinese visitors has jumped. I believe that our marketing strategy in putting a greater focus on the Chinese market is bearing fruit,” Shin added.
The ward office has aggressively promoted Gangnam to the Chinese, appointing actress Jang Na-ra and singer and actor Rain, popular in China, as publicity ambassadors for the district.
“Chinese travelers are big spenders, buying luxury goods in Cheongdam-dong, where flagship stores of luxury brands are clustered,” said Shin.
Targeting mainly the Chinese and Japanese, the district is also promoting medical tourism, as it is a stronghold of beauty care, with 56 percent of Seoul’s 820 plastic surgery hospitals and skin care clinics located there. More than 19,100 foreign patients came to the district for treatment last year, taking up 23.4 percent of total foreign patients nationwide. Gangnam aims to attract 32,000 patients this year.
Shin said laws need to be changed to boost medical tourism.
“Foreign patients should be allowed to buy medicine at hospitals without visiting pharmacies. Health insurance should be improved for possible malpractice, and medical fees for each treatment should be standardized to prevent people being ripped off. These kinds of amendments to related laws are essential to bring in an influx of foreign patients.”
She also called for eased regulations to set up various types and sizes of hotels as the current law permits hotel operations for foreigners only when at least 30 rooms are offered.
“We need small-sized, medium-priced hotels where tourists can rest between shopping sessions. Some celebrities have expressed hopes to set up boutique hotels in buildings they own in Gangnam, but they couldn’t as they were too small to have 30 rooms. We need to ease the regulations.”
To enhance the meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) industry, the ward office recently approved an extension of COEX, one of the top convention facilities in Korea which was the main venue for the G20 Seoul Summit last year.
“The headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corp., currently across from COEX, will move by 2013, and we plan to set up more convention facilities and hotels on the site. We are discussing it with Seoul Metropolitan Government,” said Shin.
The ward office receives feedback about tourism in Gangnam from 96 foreigners who were named honorary ambassadors for the district. It is also trying to boost the quality of life for foreign residents, whose number is about 7,330 including those from multicultural families.
Expats can receive counseling and information on living and cultural events at Yeoksam Global Village Center, and visit Gangnam’s various attractions on a city tour bus.
“We also plan to establish another foreign school on 9,900 square meters of land in Segokdong, besides the one in Gaepodong for which we are currently recruiting an operator.”
The ward office conducted a survey last year on multicultural families, and it showed immigrant wives wanted more employment opportunities. “In offering jobs to them, we are taking advantage of medical tourism, as such women can be good interpreters for foreign patients from their homelands,” Shin said.
“What I can do for foreign visitors and residents is to give administrative support for projects as fast as possible, so that residents can have more comfortable lives here and tourists can take home a good image of Gangnam and even Korea.”