The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will hold the 'K Tourism Roadshow' in Beijing on the 25th and in Shanghai on the 27th, targeting the Chinese market.
Last year, the number of Chinese visitors to Korea reached 4.6 million, making China the top market for visitors to Korea. As the market for inbound tourism has been favorable early this year, it is expected that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea will reach 1.2 million in the first quarter of this year, which represents an approximate 18% increase compared to the same period last year.
The ministry is accelerating the recovery of the Chinese inbound tourism market and injecting vitality into the inbound market for foreign visitors by holding the 'K Tourism Roadshow' in Beijing and Shanghai following the event that began in Guangzhou last March.
The K Tourism Roadshow in Beijing and Shanghai will see the participation of 330 individuals from 74 Korean and over 100 Chinese tourism companies. This is the largest scale ever.
At the Beijing 'K Tourism Roadshow', 74 institutions will participate, including eight local governments such as Seoul, Busan, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Jeju, along with 39 dedicated Chinese travel agencies, hotels and resorts, as well as medical and beauty services such as ophthalmology and health checkups, tourist attractions, and theme parks.
Marketing Korean tourism will target over 100 institutions, including travel agencies in Beijing and the northern China region, online travel platforms, and cultural and sports associations. Later, during the 'Korea-China Tourism Exchange Night', a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation will be signed between the Korea Travel Agency Association and the China Travel Agency Association, promoting regular exchanges and cooperation between the Korea-China tourism industries.
The Shanghai 'K Tourism Roadshow' will be held at the MGM hotel, targeting the travel industries in the eastern and central regions of China.
The eastern region of China, where Shanghai is located, leads the flow of individual tourists visiting Korea due to the highest number of flights to Korea and the greatest issuance of individual visas. Considering its proximity to Korea and its characteristics as a mature travel market based on high income levels, it will target individual tourists from China's 2030 generation.
In particular, unique themed travel products targeting health-conscious Chinese individuals will be introduced, including experiences in ophthalmology, health checkups, pet-friendly travel for the increasing pet population in China, and hiking tours. New tourism content based on experiences and everyday life, such as gourmet food and performances, will also be introduced, and collaboration with participating local governments will promote regional cultural tourism festivals and distinctive content of regional small cities, including marine tourism resources. The Korea-China tourism industry consultation meeting is expected to involve over 300 business consultations.
Kim Jeong-hoon, director of the tourism policy department, noted, "China is the number one tourism market for visitors to Korea, with one out of every three inbound tourists being Chinese. Furthermore, with an average expenditure per person reaching 3 million won, China is an important market with a high level of spending." He added that the 'K Tourism Roadshow' in Beijing and Shanghai will serve as a catalyst for further increasing the demand for Chinese tourism to Korea.