Korea to organise K-pop events at key tourist destinations to attract travellers
Korea will see K-pop dance events, pop-up stores and festivals at key travel destinations across the country this year in a bid to boost inbound travel and showcase what the country's various region have to offer, the government said Thursday.
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| Domestic and overseas tourists visit Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, Monday. ( Source:Yonhap) |
The plan comes as part of a yearlong marketing strategy — consisting of 10 pillar projects — by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to fulfill the government’s ambitious goal to attract 20 million inbound visitors by the end of the year.
Starting with a K-culture-themed pop-up store to be built at HiKR Ground in April, a promotional hall at the KTO’s Seoul Center, there will be K-pop random play dance events and pop-up stores in key tourist landmarks in southern cities, including Jeonju, North Jeolla Province and Gyeongju, North Gyeonggi Province every other week from May to October.
A K-pop random play dance is an open event where a mix of various K-pop songs’ choruses are played over speakers at famous tourist destinations across the world, inviting anyone who knows the choreography to join the challenge to dance along as much as they want.
Also, a mega K-pop concert featuring a wide range of K-culture experience event zones will be held in the capital in October.
The country plans to take advantage of the growing popularity of K-beauty and e-sports in attracting foreign tourists as well.
In June, the country will host a K-beauty festival, offering a large-scale promotion of Korean cosmetics, fashion, wellness and medical products and services.
Additionally, esports-themed tour packages will be launched in July, where visitors can participate in an esports festival, meetups with Korean professional gamers and experience the PC room culture.
To attract foreign travelers during the low season, the government will carry out a months-long promotion project called “Korea bucket list,” in which some 10,000 inbound travelers are invited to promotions and events to fulfill their travel to-do list.
In last year's pilot project, visitors from Chinese-speaking regions showed a high participation rate with strong preferences for benefits involving K-beauty experiences, and fried chicken and beer, the ministry said.
Notably, the government will launch its "Korea invites you" storytelling campaign, inviting 30 foreign nationals with special ties to the country for a five-day journey with tailored itineraries in May.
Last May, the KTO invited Alexander and Andrea Campagna, an American couple who helped Korean travelers stuck in heavy snow in Buffalo, New York, in December 2022. The couple was invited to a reunion with the Koreans they sheltered and ate with that Christmas, followed by a gastronomic tour across the country.
The ministry also plans to support regional tourism by presenting travel programs with various themes, including food, culture, nature and sports.
The ongoing Korea Grand Sale, an annual foreigner-exclusive shopping festival that runs until Feb. 29 this year, offers travel, shopping and K-culture experience benefits.
(Source: VNA)
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