Korea Tourism Organization Launches Tourism Service Improvement Campaign for Foreign Tourists

Enhancing Regional Travel Convenience for Foreign Visitors Across Payment, Transportation, Guidance, and Regional Tourism Content -
The Korea Tourism Organization (President Park Sung-hyuk, hereinafter referred to as the KTO) is launching the "Unlock Your Korea: Go Local" tourism service improvement campaign from October 7 to December 13 to help foreign tourists travel conveniently across various regions.

This campaign has been designed to reduce inconveniences that foreign tourists may experience across mobility, consumption, and overall travel experiences from the moment they first set foot in Korea, thereby creating a more convenient tourism environment. The campaign targets gateway cities and adjacent regions where Cheongju, Daegu, and Gimhae Airports as well as Incheon, Pyeongtaek, and Gunsan Ports are located.

First, to enhance payment and shopping convenience, the KTO is expanding mobile simple-payment and tax-refund infrastructures targeting local shops such as traditional markets. In addition, it is holding a joint promotion with "WOWPASS," a payment and commerce platform exclusively for foreigners. When spending 10,000 KRW or more on food, beverages, or shopping in local commercial districts, a 2,000 KRW instant rebate will be provided per transaction. Individuals can enjoy up to 6 times of cashback benefits, totaling up to 12,000 KRW.

An integrated pass has also been introduced to enhance tourists' mobility convenience and stay satisfaction. The "K-Tour Pass," which combines transportation and tourist site discounts, can be found in Busan, which is highly preferred by foreign visitors. Purchasing the pass offers a discount on the AREX (Airport Railroad Express) direct train fare and free admission to one of 35 paid tourist attractions in Busan.

Furthermore, the KTO is strengthening the provision of tourism information and commercializing region-specific content so that foreign tourists can easily find where to stay and what to enjoy in the regions. Information on excellent accommodation facilities such as Hanok near regional airports and ports will be significantly expanded to provide customized lodging information, and multilingual interpretation and guidance services through the 1330 Tourist Information Hotline will be reinforced. Alongside this, travel products will be developed by linking major regional food festivals such as the Daegu Tteokbokki Festival and the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, and joint promotions will be conducted through the KTO’s overseas branch offices and global OTAs (Online Travel Agencies).

Min Byeong-sun, Head of the Tourism Industry Division at the KTO, stated, "Through this campaign, we will create an environment where foreign tourists can easily obtain travel information from the moment they visit the regions via regional airports and ports, and conveniently enjoy the regions' attractive contents," adding, "We will continue to cooperate with local governments, related organizations, and private companies to make regional airports and ports new starting points for regional tourism."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]