"Spain has various regional festivals every month throughout the year. If Korea also differentiates regional festivals and helps them take root, foreign tourists will go not only to the major cities but also to local cities. Public transportation is important along with lodging. It should be managed to give a comfortable feeling, like visiting a friend's home."
Ambassador Im Soo-seok to Spain answered this when asked about "Korea's strategy to attract tourists" in an interview with ChosunBiz at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Spain in Madrid on the 13th (local time).
Ambassador Im said, "Many cities in Korea, including Seoul and Busan, as well as Gyeongju and Yeosu, are well known to foreigners," and "We should build our own appeal through region-by-region, distinctive storytelling."
He added, "Most restaurants in Korea mainly use white fluorescent lights, which can feel unnatural to foreigners," and "To help foreigners enjoy delicious Korean food, simply changing the restaurant lighting can have a big effect. Starting with small things, making changes and improving the environment is the shortcut to revitalizing regional tourism."
Spain is the world's No. 2 tourism powerhouse after France. According to the Embassy of Korea in Spain, 95.6 million foreign tourists visited Spain last year. Following 93.8 million in 2024, it marked a record high for the second straight year. There are projections that this year will exceed 100 million.
Ambassador Im said, "Spain retains diverse charms, from the urban culture of Madrid and Barcelona to the sun-drenched coastal resorts and the Islamic cultural heritage of Andalusia," adding, "That's why Spain is called a country with a thousand faces." He further noted, "There's even a saying that no one comes to Spain just once—if you come once, you come twice."
Services account for as much as 75.8% of Spain's gross domestic product (GDP). However, Spain is seeking to shift its service-centered economic structure, which has been led by tourism. The COVID-19 pandemic became the momentum. In 2020, when COVID-19 spread, the number of foreign tourists visiting Spain fell below 20 million. That year, Spain's real growth rate was -10.9%.
Ambassador Im said, "Like other Mediterranean countries, Spain suffered significant economic damage during COVID-19," adding, "Recently, it has been working to foster advanced future growth engines such as electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy and semiconductors." He continued, "Through wind and solar power, electricity is cheap and abundant, which is attractive for foreign investment corporations," noting, "Locally, people are waiting for Korean semiconductor corporations to come in."
Among industrial sectors, Spain is strong in construction. It ranks third in the world in overseas construction orders after China and France. Including ACS, the world's No. 1 global contractor, eight of the world's top 200 construction companies are Spanish.
Ambassador Im said, "Madrid has a similar area to Seoul and a smaller population, but the underground roads in the core downtown are well built," adding, "It takes 20 minutes underground for what takes 40 to 50 minutes on the surface. The underground road network is laid out like a spider web."
He said, "This is the strength of Spanish architecture," adding, "Seeing how Spain operates its underpasses, many come from overseas to benchmark." Ambassador Im advised that Korean local governments planning to build road networks should benchmark Madrid's transportation network.
Ambassador Im will mark two years since his appointment this Aug. He emphasized that during his tenure, he made the protection of the rights and interests of Korean nationals and corporations his top priority. Ambassador Im said, "I will build as many bridges as possible connecting Korea and Spain," adding, "We will pursue various cooperation plans, from the economy and culture and arts to exchanges between local governments."