Korea began 2012 buoyed by the success of the previous year; our tourism industry continues to go from strength-to-strength, thanks to new services, new initiatives and a strong London 2012 brand awareness campaign.
 

Korea Tourism will be actively promoting some mega-events planned for 2013, such as the ‘Suncheon Garden Expo Korea’ and the opening of a new Taekwondo Park in Muju. We will also be promoting the ‘luxury tourism sector’ at WTM which interweaves with the emphasis of ‘Recharging your Energy’ in our destination. Healthy living is in the DNA of the Korean population, so spas, cuisine and unique cultural experiences combine to create a truly relaxing holiday experience
 

The big news this year is that BA will commence a direct service from London to Seoul on the 02^nd December. Mr. Kim director of the Korea Tourism Org London office commented ‘BA’s decision to fly to Seoul will further reflect the continuing popularity of Korea. Visitor figures to Korea from the UK have been rising steadily in recent years and to have greater choice for the consumer on the London to Seoul route will enhance the destination appeal and create new travel partnerships’. This compliments the increased services offered by Korean Air & Asiana Airlines.

More competition and more services on the route will ultimately be advantageous for the travelling public and we hope to further strengthen visitor numbers on the back of this. We will be working with existing and new partners with all airlines that provide a direct/ non-direct service to Seoul.

London 2012 provided a fantastic platform to promote the Pyeongchang Special Olympics and the World Rowing Championships both taking place in 2013 and of course the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. We will also build on the awareness generated by Jeju Island becoming a ‘New7Wonder’ of nature at the start of this year and our ten UNESCO World Cultural Heritages.
 

So there is plenty of scope to encourage the ‘fully inclusive tours’ & ‘special interest tour’ market, using Korea’s unique selling points as a major driver for inbound travel. Online marketing initiatives, social media and mobile apps are proving valuable tools when promoting new niche markets; from the cruising and rail sectors (11 ports in Korea offering 11 different attractions and experiences) to sports events and taekwondo, cuisine, Temple and Hanok-stays and many more. State-of-the-art conference centers’ have a plethora of diverse spaces and expertise to organize your biggest or smallest requirement.
 

We welcome everyone to come and experience Korea on stand AS350

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Ramy Salameh
Tel: 020 7321 2535
Email: london@gokorea.co.uk