ASEAN center attracts food tourists

Southeast Asia has become one of the top tourist destinations for people living in South Korea, and among its best attractions in the ASEAN region are its delicious and diverse cuisines. The ASEAN-Korea Centre will operate a booth promoting gastronomy tourism to the region at KINTEX in Ilsan from Friday to Sunday.

This booth will feature stories and information about 20 dishes from all 10 ASEAN member countries, including Vietnamese escargot noodle soup, Indonesia's spicy meat dish rendang and the Philippines' sour sinigang soup. Various other travel tips, activities and gifts will also be offered, including “ASEAN Snack Drawing” and “ASEAN Quiz.”

Meanwhile, the center will also hold the ASEAN-Korea Tourism Investment Seminar on Friday at Lotte Hotel in Seoul to provide information on the investment environment and opportunities in the region's tourism industries.

"Last year, 9.5 million Korean travelers, accounting for over one-third of the country's entire outbound tourists, visited 10 ASEAN member states,” ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Lee Hyuk said. “The ASEAN region became the most popular travel destination for Koreans with its divine nature and unique cultures.”