Korea Tourism Virtual Fair 2020 to be held online from Oct. 12

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold the Korea Tourism Virtual Fair 2020 online from Oct. 12 to 16, to help reinvigorate the tourism industry amid the coronavirus crisis, the ministry said on Sunday.

The fair will kick off with a congratulatory message from Culture Minister Park Yang-woo and a performance by the honorary ambassadors, K-pop girl group ITZY, on Monday 4 p.m.

Afterwards, Korea Tourism Organization President Ahn Young-bae and Klook President Ethan Lin will meet in a virtual city, which takes its motif from Seoul and Hong Kong, and sign a memorandum of understanding to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic together and better promote Korean tourist attractions.

Lin and Gloria Guevara, President of the World Travel & Tourism Council, will each follow with a keynote speech, and Korean gugak band Inalchi and Ambiguous Dance Company will hold a joint performance to celebrate the opening of the fair.

During the five-day run, 293 Korean companies and state-run facilities in the tourism sector will get to communicate online with 657 overseas tourism companies. Companies will include Trip Advisor, Air Canada, JTB Travel and Trip.com.

Experts will give online lectures everyday at 4 p.m. from Oct. 13 to 16, including President of U.S. Tour Operators Association Terry Dale on Tuesday and President of German Travel Association Norbert Fiebig on Wednesday.

"The Korea Tourism Fair had communicated with visitors through offline events until now, but there is no way for the tourists and tourism insiders to do so due to Covid-19," said Culture Minister Park.

"We hope that the virtual fair will get to become a paradigm for tourism fairs, by crossing the international borders and allowing various businesses from the tourism sector to participate."

All events will be held online, via www.ktvf2020.com.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]