 Seoul Tourism & Marketing CEO Samuel Koo says more restaurants should be equipped with menus in English and other languages to make Seoul more friendly to foreign tourists. / Korea Times |
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is looking to attract 12 million travelers to the capital by 2010. To achieve the goal, it has a lot of homework to do.
It falls upon the shoulders of Samuel Koo, the inaugural head of Seoul Tourism & Marketing, to take on the daunting challenge.
Since taking the helm of the new promotion agency set up by the metropolitan government along with a number of private companies, Koo has received advice from experts from varying fields on ways to earn more money through tourism.
Koo, 67, who lived overseas for more than three decades working for the Associated Press and UN, is well versed with global cities that are superb at attracting tourists. The experiences he has had in foreign countries over the decades are expected to be crucial leverage for him to tackle the tasks.
He knows that just like the attraction of foreign direct investment hinges on securing a better business climate, having more tourists visit Seoul is all about making the tour-related environment attractive to visitors.
Koo seeks to achieve the big goal of luring more tourists with a strategy based on the details and is confident about doubling the number.
``Starting with small changes can make a difference,'' he said in an interview with The Korea Times.
More information about housing, roads, foods and tour sites should be provided in English and other foreign languages, he said.
``To attract more tourists and more conventioneers, we need to do a number of things from such basic chores as having street signs, metro signs, restaurant menus and ATM signs, all these in English, Japanese and Chinese. It is basically making the city friendly to foreigners.''
He also emphasized the importance of upgrading ``hardware.''
``Then, there is the hardware. Where to go? How can you entertain yourself? Where to shop, eat and stay? Seoul is not an inexpensive city. And do we have any major attractions, which can be considered as Asia's best or first?'' Koo said.
Seoul should turn into more affordable place for foreigners to stay with more appealing tour places and events, he added.
``We need more budget hotels and convention centers,'' he said. ``At the same time, we really lack foreigner-friendly restaurants. More restaurants should be equipped with menus in English and other languages.
Hybrid Approach
The Seoul Tourism & Marketing was set up as a venture by the city government along with 16 tourism-related companies in March.
Koo expected the private companies to offer more creative solutions to boost tourism, doing away with bureaucratic inefficiency.
``Seoul is a major destination for a lot of foreigners and it means we must look at the entire and bigger picture of how we welcome the increasing number of visitors. I think we want to put this in a more systematic perspective ― and through investment, focused-efforts, we want to bring about an improvement,'' he said.
The basic idea behind the launch of the organization not as a municipal authority but as a hybrid of the city government and private sector is to attract investment from the industry and bring in entrepreneurship into the operation, he said.
He emphasized citizens need to be more kind and friendly to foreign tourists, treating them as guests in their home for their part.
``If you see two foreigners trying to take a picture of themselves in turn, you could say, `May I take a picture for you?' That sort of attitude is needed,'' Koo said. ``You should treat foreigners as guests. This is nothing to do with facilities.''
He said such warm treatment is the key to boosting tourism and triggering more visits to Seoul.
Customization of Tour Packages
To tackle challenges ahead, Koo is tasked to make the most of his lengthy experience in journalism as well as his long overseas experience.
Koo started his career as a reporter for The Korea Herald in 1965 but two years later, he quit and went to study journalism at Columbia University where he earned a masters degree in 1968.
He then worked as a correspondent for Voice of America and as an Associated Press correspondent in Rome.
Koo went to join UNICEF in 1987 where he served in various positions, including representative, advisor for special projects and Japanese office director. When he returned to Korea, he was made president of Arirang TV.
He emphasized that it is important to see what we can introduce to foreign visitors from the point of view of the tourists, not from a nationalistic viewpoint.
``If you have star attractions, that could be Taj Mahal, Mt. Everest, Coliseum or Pyramid, then you don't talk so much about foods and you don't talk about little things so much. When you look at Korea, we're not that kind of city,'' Koo said.
Instead, he suggested the promotion and development of what Seoul has in a presentable and marketable packages, saying it was a matter of ``How do we best utilize things that we already have?''
To give examples, he mentioned hallyu, or the Korean cultural wave, natural scenery and the status of the only divided nation in the world as unique tourist attractions.
``When somebody says Korea, it's not a country of being quiet and traditional music. But it's rather about North Korea, the DMZ and constant tension and at the same time, hallyu and dynamic country,'' he said.
He said the image of dynamic or ``hustle and bustle'' is what Korea can project to people outside, which can also appeal to those who want to experience excitement.
``Tour packages should be customized for different targets depending on nationalities, ages and cultural background,'' he said.
e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr
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