NYC Expects 250,000 Korean Visitors
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
New York aims to invite more Korean visitors to the city, and the recent announcement of the United State's plan to expand visa waiver programs is expected to help the commitment, said Fred Dixon, vice president of tourism development at NYC & Company.
The tourism marketing organization of New York City opened its branch in Seoul Monday. Korea is the 21st country to have a NYC & Company office.
Korea's outbound travel is tremendously increasing, and so are trips to the Big Apple, Dixon said.
The number of Korean visitors to New York jumped from 81,000 in 2002 to 228,000 in 2005 _ the annual growth ratio marked 49 percent from 2004 to 2005.
``We estimate 250,000 Koreans will visit New York this year, and it will make Korea the eighth largest overseas market,'' Makiko Matsuda Healy, director for Asia Pacific tourism development, said.
Koreans stay in the city for 10 days, longer than average, and they spend $177 per day. While business travelers make up over 60 percent, visitors' most favorite activity is shopping, she said.
New York attracted 44 million visitors from around the world last year, and aims to bring 50 million by 2015. ``The visa waiver program, which U.S. President George W. Bush announced, will be expanded in the near future, helping our mission,'' Dixon said.
He said the U.S. will adopt a hospitality program next month, a service helping foreign tourists better understand the customs and immigration process, including leaflets about the process. The program will begin at JFK International Airport and expand to other airports.
For Korean visitors, NYC & Company will develop package programs involving hotels and airlines, and open a Korean-language Web site soon, said Michael Merner, managing director for Korea.
The tourism organization will also provide an ``open book,'' a catalogue of occupancy of hotels in New York which will enable tourists to check when the less busy time is for travel. Dixon said Korean holidays such as Lunar New Year would match the low-demand season of New York in the open book.