The President Yoon Suk-yeol government, declaring next year and 2024 as “Korea Visit Years,” has set the goal of attracting 30 million inbound tourists by 2027 through dramatic reform of the tourism industry.
The government plans to increase the number of multi-purpose zones for the MICE industry, such as convention from current five to 10 in the five next years and designate six convergence clusters for wellness/medical tourism next year.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo convened the 7th National Tourism Strategy Meeting at Seoul HiKR Ground of Korea Tourism Organization on Dec. 12 and approved the 6th tourism promotion master plan between 2023 and 2027.
The government plans to hold diverse events designed to raise the beauty of the Korean tourism industry, such as the holding of “K-tourism road shows” in global top 50 cities by designating next year and 2024 as “Korea Visit Years.”
Prime Minister Han said, “Korea Visit Years are hoped to help the Korean tourism industry overcome difficulties, caused by the COVID pandemic and make a rebound anew.”
Based on the blueprint, the government aims to attract 30 million inbound tourists and earn $30 billion (39.28 billion won) in tourism revenues annually by 2027.
The 30 million tourists are equivalent to those attracted by Japan in 2018, In 2019, just prior to the spread of the COVID pandemic, Korea attracted 17.5 million foreigners and earned $20.7 billion in revenues.
The government plans to increase the period of foreigners’ stay in Korea from an average of 12.9 days in 2019 to 15 days in 2027 and raise Koreans’ domestic tour expenditures from 44 trillion won to 50 trillion won during the same period.
The government has come up with two strategies to foster the tourism industry: regulatory reform and “K-culture.” The government plans to relax conditions on the designation of multi-purpose MICE districts.
By doing so, it plans to increase the number of multi-purpose MICE districts from five to 10. The current multi-purpose MICE districts include those in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, Haeundae-gu, Busan, and Songdo, Incheon.
The government aims to create new tourism industry demand through convergence of tourism, medical care and casino. It plans to announce six wellness/medical care convergence clusters, combining health, rest and vacation, in consideration of foreigners’ high demand toward Korea’s medical care.
The government plans to increase foreign workers with the tourist industry.
It plans to increase the allowable working hours of foreigners with the non-working visa (D-2) from 10 to 25 hours weekly to 30 hours. Each hotel will be allowed to increase the number of foreigners with the working visa (E-7) from current two to five.
The government plans to raise 500 billion won in a fund to foster tourism venture companies.
The number of tourism company support centers — eight in Korea and one in Singapore — will be expanded to 14 in Korea and 10 in foreign countries.
The government has another strategic axis: making Korea an “attractive tourism destination” based on K-culture. It plans to hold large-sized international events, dubbed “Never-ending K-culture,” such as “K-tourism road shows” and “hallyu concerts” in global top 50 cities around the year during Korea Visit Year 2023 and 2024.
The government plans to develop and expand tourism content containing Korea’s gems by combining K-culture, such as art, K-pop, cuisine and sport as tourism.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon said, “Korea will make next year the first year of efforts to become a tourism powerhouse by making the most of K-culture, the Korean tourism industry’s irreplaceable attraction.”
President Kim Jang-sil of Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) who took office in October, held a meeting with reporters at Korea Press Center in Seoul on Dec. 14.
Speaking at the current status of the Korean tourism industry and changed standing of Korean culture, KTO President Kim revealed four core tasks KTO will implement under the catchphrase “K-tourism Impressing People around the World and Making People Happy.”
President Kim revealed his determination of achieving the goal of attracting 30 million inbound tourists by 2027 by concentrating on marketing activities related to Korea Visit 2023 and 2024 Years under the slogan “Making Traveling Korea Enthralled and Happy.”
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