Korea aims to use APEC leverage to boost regional tourism

By Lee Hae-rin

Korea plans to use the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as an opportunity to boost regional tourism and showcase the host region to foreign visitors, the government said Wednesday.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok conducted an on-site inspection of APEC preparations and hosted a meeting with related ministries, municipalities and organizations to discuss ways to stabilize people’s livelihoods in the tourism sector in the host city.

During the meeting, Choi noted that competition with neighboring countries to attract tourists is intensifying, and that travel to Korea is largely concentrated in certain areas, including Seoul and a few major cities.

He said the government would make efforts to diversify products in the tourism market to stimulate industry growth.

Specifically, the government will introduce a temporary visa exemption for Chinese tour groups in the third quarter of this year and announce related plans in April.

According to the Bank of Korea’s analysis, an increase of 1 million Chinese visitors is expected to contribute a 0.08 percentage point increase to Korea's GDP.

Additionally, tourism authorities will work to develop tailored products to attract potential visitors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, aiming to diversify visitors' demographics.

Neighboring China and Japan have captured the lion's share of Korea’s tourism, accounting for nearly half — 47.8 percent — of the total visitors, according to the latest government data.

Notably, the government plans to develop aspects of Korea’s daily experience, referred to as "K-everything," including food, fashion, beauty, media content and sports, into tourism resources to diversify tourism products.

For example, the Korea Tourism Organization and online travel agency Klook introduced a curated "K-game tour" package in Seoul last week in collaboration with game maker Pearl Abyss, featuring locations from the online game Black Desert Land of the Morning Light.

Among the K-everything tours are experiences such as a Korean wedding photo shoot, scalp clinic therapy, a Korean sports fan culture tour and guided visits to a Korean noodle factory and a traditional brewery.

To actively promote Gyeongju and the North Gyeongsang region as hosts of the APEC summit, tourism authorities will offer curated tour programs to attendees, reporters and travel agencies. They will also enhance travel convenience between regions by upgrading tourism transportation infrastructure this year.

“The successful hosting of this year’s APEC summit will be an important turning point in enhancing Korea’s international status and revitalizing the local economy,” Choi said, urging related ministries, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government, Gyeongju City Government and the private sector to “work as one team” to achieve the goal.