Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
US beckons more Korean tourists
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff reporter
ORLANDO, Florida ― The United States is putting more effort into boosting tourism among Korean travelers based on existing relations and the visa waiver program (VWP).
The International Pow Wow 2010, the largest tourism industry marketplace in the U.S., took place at the Orange County Convention Center in May. More than 5,000 travel agents met tourism officials and agreements made are expected to generate over $3.5 billion in future visits to the U.S. according to the United States Travel Association (USTA).
Some 10 representatives from Korean tour agencies including Hana Tour and Mode Tour took part in the three-day trade show to make contracts with U.S. providers.
Tourism is big in America, making up 2.7 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and supporting 8.2 million jobs. The number of Korean visitors to the U.S. was 760,000 in 2009, ranking it ninth among a total of 54.9 million.
"We have a very strong commercial relationship with South Korea and I hope that will grow more as we have a pending Free Trade Agreement," Francisco Sanchez, the undersecretary of commerce for international trade, told The Korea Times in an interview during Pow Wow. "I think there will a lot of spillover from the commercial relationship, which already exists and will grow from the FTA, to the travel and tourism sector."
To support the tourism industry, President Barack Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) in March, which imposes a 10-dollar fee on international travelers visiting the U.S. through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system, and who stay in the country for fewer than 90 days.
USTA President and CEO Roger Dow said the TPA was "the first-ever promotion and communications program for the United States."
Dow said, "We understand that the TPA is only one part of the solution to enhancing the experience of foreign visitors coming to this country, and USTA is working hard with our partners in government to continue to enhance visa and entry processes."
A corporate board will decide where to invest the fees collected through the TPA. "I would encourage the corporate board to look at the Korean market for an opportunity to grow," Sanchez said.
The VWP is another important factor in drawing international visitors ― a total of 36 countries participate in the program now and about two-thirds of all overseas visitors come from those countries.
Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also mentioned Korea as a successful example of the program during his speech at the tourism fair.
"For many years, Korea was among the top five origin countries for visitors to the United States," Donohue said. "However, nearly all Korean applicants for U.S. visas were required to visit the U.S. Embassy in Seoul for a personal interview."
He said this requirement often presented logistical challenges and waits for visa applicants and had an adverse impact on the travel and tourism industry.
"Thanks to the Visa Waiver program, nearly 760,000 Korean citizens traveled to the United States last year, contributing close to $3 billion to the U.S. economy," Donohue said.