Looking beyond Seoul, Korea targets Chinese tourists via regional airport gateways
Summary
Korea is pushing tourists beyond Seoul by using regional airports as international gateways, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization hosting a weeklong familiarization tour for Chinese travel industry leaders. The trip brought 112 decision-makers from China to regional destinations including Gyeongju, Gimhae, Daejeon, Samcheok, Jeju and Cheonan. It ended with a business-to-business mart in Andong that produced about 700 consultations and 79 preliminary contracts. The KTO is now developing more than 100 new group tour packages tied to regional airports.
Key Facts
- The familiarization tour included 112 participants from China’s top 100 travel agencies, media outlets and online platforms.
- Participants came from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu and were split into six specialized groups.
- Seven provincial and metropolitan governments presented travel routes tied directly to regional airports with active Chinese flight paths at the Andong International Convention Center.
- The event generated around 700 consultations and secured 79 preliminary contracts.
- The Korea Tourism Organization said it is developing more than 100 new group tour packages anchored around regional airports.
People walk the streets of Myeong-dong in central Seoul, Sept. 29, 2025. Yonhap
Korea is making a decisive push to redefine its tourism landscape by movin travelers beyond the well-trodden streets of Seoul.
To transform regional airports into vibrant international gateways, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) recently hosted an ambitious multiregion familiarization tour designed to showcase the heart of the country.
The weeklong initiative brought together 112 key decision-makers from China’s top 100 travel agencies, media outlets and online platforms. Coming from major hubs including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu, participants were split into six specialized groups. Each group followed a route tailored around direct arrival and departure access through regional international airports, offering a seamless travel model that connects incoming flights directly to nearby provincial highlights.
Delegates ventured into Gyeongju, Gimhae, Daejeon, Samcheok, Jeju and Cheonan. Along the way, they immersed themselves in the local food scene and enjoyed natural landscapes and heritage sites.
Representatives noted that direct regional entry paired with rich cultural immersion provides Chinese travelers with a refreshing, high-value alternative to capital-centric trips.
The trip culminated in a business-to-business travel mart at the Andong International Convention Center. Seven provincial and metropolitan governments presented travel routes tied directly to regional airports with active Chinese flight paths. The event sparked around 700 consultations with Chinese travel operators, media influencers and Korean tourism officials, ultimately securing 79 preliminary contracts.
To sustain this momentum, the KTO said it is developing over 100 new group tour packages anchored around regional airports. The agency will also provide tailored promotional content and multilingual tourism interpreters to lower operational barriers for overseas partners. By positioning regional hubs as primary entry points, the ministry said it aims to decentralize visitor traffic, boost local economies and encourage longer, more meaningful stays across the entire peninsula.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Explore More
- Q.
- Q.
- Q.