California Travel Body Opens Seoul Office
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
More than 97 percent of Koreans think California is an attractive travel destination, with beaches, theme parks, wine and food their main trip purposes, the Californian tourism body said.
California Travel and Tourism Commission announced its survey result on Korean citizens regarding California's image at the celebration for the opening of its Seoul office Monday.
According to the survey, 97.3 percent of Korean customers think California an attractive tourist place. They said they associate California with the ocean or oranges, and they wanted to visit Disneyland and Universal Studio the most.
The commission said about 331,000 Koreans, or 40 percent of Korean visitors to the U.S., come to California every year. Korean travelers usually visit California through two gateways, Los Angeles and San Francisco airports, where direct flights operate between the two countries.
``We hope to double the number and open more gateways,'' Susan Wilcox, the commission's vice president of communications and industry relations, said.
In the ceremony, delegations from 11 Californian destinations and organizations introduced the region's attractions, which range from natural landscapes to the entertainment business. They include: convention and visitors bureaus of Anaheim Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles; Universal Studio Hollywood; Disney USA; Cova Hotel; Mammoth Mountain; Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf; California Academy of Sciences; and California Wine Institute.