Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) gives a commemorative speech at the 2020 New Year Tourism Industry Forum.

Director-General Choi Byung-goo in charge of tourism policy at the MCST speaks at the 2020 New Year Tourism Industry Forum. (Photos: NewsWorld)

The Korea Tourism Association held a New Year’s gathering for the Korean tourism industry at Novotel Ambassador in Seoul on Jan. 14.

About 200 people from tourism industry, government, political and other walks of life participated in the event.

Among the participants were Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Presidential Secretary for Culture Yang Hyun-mi, President Ahn Young-bae of Korea Tourism Organization, and KTA Chairman Yoon Young-ho.

Participants pledged their determination to achieve the goal of attracting 20 million inbound tourists this year. Earlier that day, the KTA also hosted the 2020 New Year Tourism Industry Forum to share latest tourism trends and information.

MCST Minister Park extended thanks to those who had contributed to Korea’s attracting 17.5 million inbound tourists and making a feat of Korea’s ranking 16th place in an evaluation of tourism competitiveness among countries, announced by World Economic Forum.

He called for joint efforts and wisdom to achieve the goal of attracting 20 million inbound tourists and 120 trillion in tourism spending.

In his New Year’s message, KTA Chairman Yoon urged all people in the tourist industry to set a common goal and make this year a year in which every nook and corner of Korea is shining with the tourism industry.

Chairman Yoon said the goal of attracting 20 million inbound tourists, announced by the government, could be achievable.

He said it is better to have flights originating from foreign countries directly connected to provincial airports so the tourism industry in provincial areas can be reinvigorated, and if it is done, the whole picture of the tourism industry would make a difference.

The KTA hosted the 2020 New Year Tourism Industry Forum in which tourism trends and government policies on tourism were shared. Director-General Choi Byung-goo in charge of tourism policy at the MCST spoke about strategies to develop the tourist-centered regional tourism.

President Lee Won-hee of Korean Culture & Tourism Institute gave a lecture on the topic of tourism trends. Director-General Choi spoke about strategies to develop tourist-centered regional tourism, which were discussed at the 4th National Tourist Strategic Meeting, presided over by the prime minister.

Prof. Lee Hoon of Hanyang University co-chaired the forum. Among the speakers were Song Min-gyu, head of the communication office at Yanolja, a tourism unicorn company, which has risen to stardom at a short period of time, Prof. Suh Won-suk of Kyunghee University, and CEO Oh Yong-soo of Daegu Tourism Bureau.

Dignitaries on hand at a New Year’s gathering for the Korean tourism industry, including Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KTA Chairman Yoon Young-ho and President Ahn Young-bae of Korea Tourism Organization, pose at an event to light a lamp to wish for the successful achieving the goal of attracting 20 million inbound tourists this year at Novotel Ambassador in Seoul on Jan. 14.