The 31st Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) concluded its four-day run on June 12 at the A Hall of COEX in Seoul.
About 60 countries and 50-odd Korean organizations from local governments participated in the fair, which was designed to promote the “in-, out- and intra-bound” tourism industries. The exhibition attracted more than 100,000 spectators by offering diverse B2C programs and B2B events.
About 500 companies set up booths during the fair, hosted by KOTFA Organizing Committee and organized by KOTFA Co. The exhibition took place under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization, the Visit Korea Committee and in cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JATA.) In particular, such new comers as the ASEAN-Korea Center, the International Tourism Forum and the Korea-China Marketing Association participated in the 31st rendition of the travel fair.
Such countries as China, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Mexico and Ethiopia were participants. The newcomers included Iceland, Latvia, Peru and Jamaica. Such local governments as Busan Metropolitan City, Daegu Metropolitan City, Incheon Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Changwon City, and Yongin City set up a public relations hall.
The pavilions included booths designed to publicize travel in Korea and abroad.
Spectators were given an opportunity in which they experienced traditional performances involving 60 countries during the fair. They got information on in- out- and intra-bound travels the exhibitors and hosted one-on-one travel business meetings and sessions to get a better understanding of their countries’ travel information.
Exhibitors gave fare discounts to travel products to the United States, Canada and Europe, pilgrimage tours and cruise tours during the fair.
Spectators at the South American and African Premier Coffee Specialty Zone were given a chance to taste such coffee varieties as Ethiopia Yirgachefe, Crystal Mountain and Moreno La Montana and they were given fare discounts when they bought coffee.
Visitors were given an opportunity to get the latest travel information from pavilions run by the participating counties.
Prospective travelers bought about 20 travel products, including hiking tours, “camping car” tours, pilgrimage tours and Latin music tours at specially discounted fares from 20 travel agencies at the Travel Tour Pavilion.
The travel fair offered diverse B2B programs. In an effort to boost in-bound tourism, the KOTFA Organizing Committee invited 20 guests from Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian travel agencies and arranged a one-on-one meeting between the visitors and officials from Korean in-bound travel agencies and local governments.
In cooperation with the Korea-China Marketing Association, the organizing committee invited about 30 Chinese people, including journalists, medical tour experts and urban marketing experts, and arranged meetings between the guests and Korean counterparts from local governments. Korean and foreign tour experts participated in policy sessions to boost domestic tourism.
True to the “carbon-zero campaign” in line with the social issue of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, the KOTFA Organizing Committee tried to make the 31st KOTFA an “eco-fair.” Exhibitors participated in such drives as the one to cut down on the use of disposable cups during the fair.
KOTFA was launched as a comprehensive tour fair coving in-, out- and intra-bound tourism with the goal of transforming KOTFA into the Korean version of the ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show. To this end, the KOFTA Organizing Committee plans to redouble the exhibition size and programs of the 32nd KOFTA slated for June 1 through 4, 2017 at COEX.
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