Shinsegae Department Store, Shinsegae Duty Free, and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said on the 25th that they extended a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to continue a cooperative framework to attract foreign tourists. Since first signing a business agreement last year, the three organizations have continued to collaborate in various areas, jointly producing Korea tourism promotional materials incorporating K-content and conducting overseas digital marketing together.
This year, they will put more weight behind discovering new K-content aimed at foreign customers. Shinsegae plans to jointly plan K-culture experiential content by using the main store's The Heritage and academy programs. The plan is to strengthen its role as a complex platform where visitors can experience culture beyond shopping space.
They will also work to boost regional tourism by linking with the Local Is Shinsegae project, which introduces hidden local tourism assets and culinary culture. In addition, they plan to more than double their participation in international tourism fairs such as overseas road shows and travel marts compared with last year, broadening the scope of Korea tourism promotion.
Shopping benefits for tourists visiting Korea will also be enhanced. Focusing on categories favored by foreigners, such as K-fashion, beauty, and food, they will offer monthly discount promotions and coupons so visitors can feel tangible spending benefits during their stay.
Shinsegae Department Store's sales to foreigners are showing clear growth. Last year, sales to foreigners reached about 650 billion won, and in January this year, they exceeded 90 billion won, marking the highest monthly performance on record.
Lee Seong-hwan, executive managing director in charge of sales strategy at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "As Shinsegae Department Store has established itself as a must-visit shopping and cultural landmark for tourists visiting Korea, many foreign customers are visiting again this year following last year," and added, "Through this collaboration, we will prepare more sophisticated services and content for foreigners and help make Korea a world-class tourist destination."