Gov't launches 3-city roadshow to bolster tourism marketing

Korea Tourism Organization headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will hold a three-region roadshow to introduce inbound marketing support services for businesses seeking to attract international tourists to Korea.

This year’s roadshow will open April 23 in Busan, covering South Gyeongsang Province, before moving to Jeonju on April 29 for North Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces, and concluding May 12 in Seoul for the greater capital region. Each stop will include tailored consultations and support services for participating businesses.

Sessions will include an overview of KTO's inbound marketing support services, lectures on marketing and tourism and one-on-one consultations with tourism specialists.

After the consultations, KTO will provide additional follow-up support including familiarization tours organized through its overseas offices and assistance with listings on online travel agencies to help companies achieve tangible results.

Local governments, regional tourism organizations, travel agencies and businesses in fields such as medical services, wellness, beauty and food and beverage are all eligible to participate. Details are available at Touraz (touraz.kr), KTO's tourism industry portal.

"The traveling sessions are intended as a practical forum for hearing companies’ challenges directly and offering concrete support measures," a KTO official said.

"This year, through more targeted regional outreach, we will do everything possible to help participating companies achieve tangible results."

Last year, KTO held sessions across six regions including Gangwon Province, Daejeon and Jeju, drawing more than 300 companies and 500 attendees, and facilitating more than 600 on-site consultations, service applications and capability assessments.

One notable example was XT, a Busan-based taekwondo experience company, which worked with the KTO's overseas offices after the sessions to carry out familiarization tours and local promotions in Southeast Asia, resulting in more than a 20 percent year-on-year increase in revenue from international visitors.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.