Tourism job fair aims to ease labor shortage in Korea’s travel industry

Visitors explore booths at the Seoul World Culture Festival at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap

Facing a persistent labor shortage that has hampered the domestic tourism industry’s postpandemic recovery, Korean airlines, hotels and casinos are preparing for a broad hiring push as recruiters in the sector gather in the capital next week for a major recruitment fair.

The Korea Tourism Organization said Tuesday that it will hold its 2026 Tourism Mini Job Fair on Tuesday and Wednesday at its Seoul Center in Jung District, bringing together 33 companies from across the tourism industry for on-site interviews and recruitment consultations.

Participating companies include Eastar Jet, Aero K Airlines, Modetour, EZPMP, Inspire Entertainment Resort and Grand Korea Leisure.

The two-day event comes as tourism businesses in Korea continue to struggle to fill positions despite a rebound in international travel demand. Organizers said the fair is designed not only to connect employers with job seekers, but also to support the broader hiring process with recruitment tools and career consulting services.

The Korea Tourism Organization said participating companies will receive free access to premium recruitment advertisements and artificial intelligence-based personality assessment tools to help reduce hiring costs. Job seekers will be offered customized consulting services before and after interviews, along with expanded corporate tour programs that allow applicants to experience tourism-related workplaces firsthand.

Human resources managers from participating companies are expected to conduct rolling interviews and career consultations throughout the event. Additional programs, including employment briefings and industry talks, will also be held on site.

Applicants who complete advance registration through the Tourism HR website by Sunday will receive priority access to interviews with selected companies. Same-day applications for remaining interview slots will be available at the venue.

The organization’s larger tourism job festival scheduled for September will feature expanded hands-on programs that allow job seekers to experience tourism-related work directly.

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