Visit Korea Committee Activities

Promoting 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year at the Korea-Japan Festival 2016 in Tokyo
Promoting 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year at the Korea-Japan Festival 2016 in Tokyo This is Hibiya Park in Tokyo, Japan! We are at the site of the Korea-Japan Festival 2016 in Tokyo. This annual event is held alternately in Korea and Japan. (Spoken like an on-site reporter :-)) Last year, 2015 was the 50th anniversary of the establishing of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. To signify a new chapter in relations between Korea and Japan for the next 50 years, the slogan for 2016 is Fifty More Years Together! The event was opened with a greeting by Park Sam-koo, chairman of both the Visit Korea Committee and the Korea Steering Committee for the Korea-Japan Festival! The chairman declared that Japan and Korea are the closest of neighbors and share Asian cultural values. He declared that the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games would succeed through mutual cooperation. In fact, we were able to come across Tokyo 2020 Olympics banners along the streets in Japan. It seems that there are already big expectations for the two upcoming Olympics! 🙂 Following the opening ceremony, this is the outdoor booth where 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year was promoted for two days (Sat, Sep. 24 and Sun., Sep. 25). Not only were there a lot of informational materials on a variety of programs related to the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year, but the booth was also fitted with a game wheel and lots of gifts. Do you see this? Such huge popularity for 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year! Unbelievable! And, not just that! A member of the Emperor’s family also visited. They say that in Japan, the Emperor is like a god! My eyes were also dazzled by the aura I felt seeing her from a distance! This member of the Emperor’s family even got a sticker tattoo of the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year emblem. 🙂 Japanese visitors, as well as Senator Ji Sang-wook, joined in the fun of getting these emblem tattoos There was a constant stream of visitors throughout the two days of the event, and it was often hard to find a place to stand. Pororo, who is the character that represents our promotional efforts, is also known as Prez Po in Japan too! Kumamon, the character to promote Kumamoto-hyeon, showed up on the main stage! And there were cheers when Pororo also joined the program! These two popular characters of our two countries met to promote expanded interchange between Korea and Japan in the future! It is really satisfying to see that Pororo is such a popular character in Japan, too. We hope that the active exchange of these two cartoon friends heralds a new era of greater cooperation and communication between our two countries in the future. We would like to convey our gratitude to everyone who showed interest in 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year on the 24th and 25th. ありがとうございます (Arigato gozaimas!)
Date : 2016/10/05 | Views : 6420
Promoting 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year at Tourism EXPO Japan
Promoting 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year at Tourism EXPO Japan Bright lights in the east and also in the west! We came out for some in-depth reporting, having received news that the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year campaign showed up in Tokyo, Japan to participate in Tourism EXPO Japan 2016, the largest travel convention in Asia. 🙂 What form might the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year effort have taken during the four days of the convention between September 22 and 25? - JATA B2B International Conference - We arrived at the Tokyo Big Sight where international conferences and shows are held. The B2B International Conference was held on Thursday, the 22nd, which was the first day of the event. Having set up appointments in advance online, discussions were held between Japanese travel companies and the Visit Korea Committee. Meetings started at 9 o’clock, and continued one after another thereafter. Discussions focused on introducing the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year campaign, including the K-Travel Bus, the Korea Grand Sale, and other various benefits for Japanese tourists in Korea. Strong interest in Visit Korea Year! Can you sense it even in this photo? 🙂 - The 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year Exhibit at Tourism EXPO Japan - The show was held from Friday, the 23rd, to Sunday, the 25th, for companies in the tourism industry, as well as the general public. It seemed like the promotional video and background music of 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year were everywhere! (Ears pointed up!) 10 o’clock sharp! These visitors rushed to the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year booth as soon as the doors opened. 🙂 And they were compensated for their interest with various souvenirs and fun games! Check out the “Visit Korea Year Questionnaire” and the “Facebook Like Game Wheel Event”! The Visit Korea Year Questionnaire asked “Which service would you most like to enjoy in Korea during Visit Korea Year?” But of course, before choosing, participants would have had to listen to information about all the great stuff going on, right? (From what I’ve heard, the K-Travel Bus and the Korea Grand Sale are running neck-and-neck in the polling!) Did the Japanese visitors who received the prepared gifts get exactly what they wanted? Apparently so many people got in line to participate that the stock of souvenirs ran out earlier than expected. 🙂 Lee Min-Ho, the face of the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year, is really popular in Japan, also! The upcoming Shopping Hallyu Festival’s Korea Sale FESTA! And, the K-Travel Bus, which leaves Seoul to visit unique and attractive places outside the big city! It feels really good to see people taking full advantage of at least one of the many events being promoted during the campaign period. 🙂 The 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year promotional exhibit enjoys big success wherever it goes! We were once again impressed by the strong interest and goodwill shown by the many foreigners. And we’d like to thank everyone we met during the four days. We look forward to welcoming you to Korea with a warm smile! 🙂 See you in Korea! All of us...
Date : 2016/10/05 | Views : 6035
The 15th University Student National Smile Team’s Launch Ceremony
The 15th University Student National Smile Team’s Launch Ceremony On September 23, a launch ceremony was held for the 15th University Student National Smile Team at the Convention Hall of the Kim Koo Museum in Yongsan. The 200 members of the 15th University Student National Smile Team participated in various sessions, including representatives’ oath, introduction to the Visit Korea Committee, K-Smile Campaign performance, and presentation on previous mission. Thanks to every member’s active participation, it felt like the day-long ceremony ended as soon as it started. Let’s go see the launch ceremony! The members of the 15th National Smile Team were checking in at the registration desk! After changing into uniforms, they had a selfie time in groups! The ceremony eventually started with an oath of good attitude as members of the University Student National Smile Team! And then it was followed by an introduction to the committee’s main programs and an orientation session on the members’ activities. Subsequently, a performance was delivered with the theme of the K-Smile campaign’s emblem This was the most expected time! Moving in perfect synchronization, the participating members have completed the emblem so quickly. The organizing staff members were amazed by their quick motion. ^^ Of course, we can’t leave out the taking of a commemorative photo! 🙂 Do you see their beautiful, bright smiles? And then, Mr. Jung Tae-sung’s special lecture on a culture of kindness. As a taxi driver, he is fully armed with kindness in operating his “Vision Taxi.” Perhaps no other lecture might be more needed for the smile team. Next, each group was announcing a presentation on its preliminary mission. Everybody admired the creative presentations and passionate presenters. We can’t miss a recreation time too! The members of each group played its specific recreation games. Though the launch ceremony finished successfully in this way, the University Student National Smile Team’s activities have now begun in full swing! From now on, the 15th University Student National Smile Team will carry out different activities to publicize the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year and K-Smile Campaign for five months with the vision of spreading a culture of kindness to the Korean pubic. Their awesome creativity and passion are highly expected to bring out the day when every Korean welcomes foreign tourists with a bright smile.
Date : 2016/10/05 | Views : 5424
Opening Ceremony for the Seoul International Travel Mart 2016
Opening Ceremony for the Seoul International Travel Mart 2016 On September 20, an opening ceremony took place for the Seoul International Travel Mart 2016 at the Convention Hall of Grand Hilton Seoul. This event is co-hosted by the Visit Korea Committee and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Perhaps, this is why so many tourism professionals have come by the Visit Korea Committee’s booth set up in front of the event hall. The opening ceremony began with a welcoming address by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Citing the slogan Live There, he told “I highly expect the Seoul International Travel Mart 2016 to be a great festival for the whole tourism industry.” And it was followed by a congratulatory message by Chairman Park Sam-Koo of the committee. It’s the slogan of the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year campaign, isn’t it? “Everyone of us will make all-out efforts to realize ‘a Korea where to want to visit Subsequently, Professor Harold Goodwin from The International Centre for Responsible Tourism gave a keynote address. He introduced us to the concept of “responsible tourism,” which is still unfamiliar with though. This concept requires us to respect and protect the environmental, cultural, and economic aspects of the countries where we have tours. Yeah, everyone will agree that a tourism culture that respects each other is very important in this world where we live together. At the end of the ceremony, eight luggage bags appeared on the stage! What are they for? They are a trigger to a grand performance for the opening ceremony. Once their handles were pulled, the symbols of Seoul landmarks started lighting up one after another on the back wall of the stage! It’s a really creative idea, isn’t it? Landmarks completed! The Seoul International Travel Mart 2016 has eventually begun with all the attendees’ cheering shouts! - K-Travel Bus FAM Tour - Next, FAM tours were carried out from Thursday, September 22 to Saturday, the 24th for the over 150 overseas buyers from China, Southeast Asia, Japan, the Americas, and Europe who participated in the SITM. Five of the FAM tour courses were traveled by the K-Travel Bus! The five of them are respectively of Daegu City, Northern Gyeongsang Province, Gangweon Province, Southern Jeolla Province, and the south-eastern region. Southern Jeolla Province Course: A commemorative photo taken after experiencing cable cars in Yeosu! Southeastern Region Course: Making pottery at Pottery Village in Ulsan Daegu City Course: Experience of the cooking of temple food at the Donghwasa Temple Northern Gyeongsang Province: Sitting on the king’s chair as dressed Gangweon Province: A commemorative photo taken along with the K-Travel Bus! After the FAM tours, all the participating buyers have returned to their home countries safely! We expect this event will serve as a big chance to give publicity to the various tourist items of Korea and to attract more foreign tourists here to Korea. 🙂
Date : 2016/10/05 | Views : 5636
Visit Korea Committee Signs Business Agreement to Increase Transit Passengers Who Use Incheon International Airport
Visit Korea Committee Signs Business Agreement to Increase Transit Passengers Who Use Incheon International Airport In the afternoon of September 20, a business agreement was signed at a meeting room of Incheon International Airport with the aim of increasing transit passengers between the Visit Korea Committee, the Incheon International Airport Corporation, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Incheon Tourism Corporation, and the Gwangmyeong City Government. Meanwhile, the committee is engaged in designing stopover tour packages to give publicity to Korean provincial places for foreign tourists, who so far have been highly concentrated in Seoul. The first offered package is a trip around Muju and Jecheon by the K-Travel Bus. Are you ready to come in the meeting room to see the signing event? Now it starts! 🙂 Before signing begun, the attending officials were chatting at the meeting room. Various topics were brought up, including recent trends of the tourism industry and foreign tourists visiting Korea. Synergy was already apparent between the five participating organizations even before the business agreement itself was signed! Soon after, the signing event got started Here, Secretary-General Han Kyung-ah represented the Visit Korea Committee, Mayor Yang Gi-dae the Gwangmyeong City Goverment, President Chung Il-young the Incheon International Airport Corporation, International Tourism Strategy Division Director Min Min-hong the Korea Tourism Organization, and President Hwang Jun-Ki the Incheon Tourism Corporation. (Clapping) Under this partnership, these five organizations plan to push ahead with a co-marketing program for attracting more foreign transit passengers during the 2016–2018 Visit Korea Year. Particularly, various stopover tour packages are now under planning by the committee in the expectation of more foreign tourists coming to Korea. 🙂 Look! The agreement is now being signed! The representatives were signing on the letters so carefully that they even seemed somewhat nervous. ^^ Lastly, a commemorative photo was taken, which is definitely one thing that can’t be missing! The agreement letters were snapped together as held by the representatives! 🙂 (From left) Secretary-General Han Kyung-ah of the Visit Korea Committee, Mayor Yang Gi-dae of the Gwangmyeong City Goverment, President Chung Il-young of the Incheon International Airport Corporation, International Tourism Strategy Division Director Min Min-hong of the Korea Tourism Organization, President Hwang Jun-Ki of the Incheon Tourism Corporation. More than 60,000 foreign transit passengers reportedly have a stopover trip from Incheon International Airport every year. It is highly expected to see what kind of synergy will be created from now on!
Date : 2016/09/29 | Views : 5480