Government will leverage K-pop, esports to attract more tourists in 2024

Foreigners in hanbok, or Korean traditional clothing, takes a photo at Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno DIstrict, central Seoul, on Friday. [YONHAP]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced 10 major projects on Thursday that will leverage the ongoing K-culture boom to attract visitors beyond the capital throughout the year.

In hand with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the Culture Ministry has identified 100 tourism events slated to take place across the country, throughout 2024, under a project dubbed “100 K-Culture Tourism Events.” The activities relate to a range of topics from Korean traditional culture and food to contemporary music, art, games and media content. They will be actively promoted through Korea's tourism offices in 32 countries as well as during major events like the Frieze Seoul 2024, according to the ministry.

The ministry said it will also operate “K-pop Playground” pop-up stores and K-pop dance festivals around multiple cities in Korea, starting in April at the KTA's HiKR Ground publicity center in central Seoul. It will also host the annual Korea Beauty Festival in June and esports events in July. The Korea Grand Sale, an annual shopping and tourism festival, is currently ongoing and slated to conclude on Feb. 29.

It plans to maintain the stream of tourists beyond summer by pursuing the “Korea Bucket List” project, which financially supports 10,000 foreigners who have purchased a plane ticket to Korea for whatever cultural activities they want to do in the country. The project was also run last year, and its most preferred benefits included free transportation cards as well as passes to Korean hair and makeup shops and fried chicken joints which the ministry said it will take into account for this year.

The ministry will also invite 30 foreigners to Korea who it determines to have special relationships with the country. The project, dubbed “Korea Invites You,” will enable the individuals will stay in Korea for four nights and provide a customized tourism itinerary.

Other projects include “Welcome Week,” through which the government will operate welcome booths at airports in Incheon, Gimpo, Jeju and Gimhae; and “K-tourism Promotion,” which will call for some 113 private companies to generate tourism-related products and services.

“The Culture Ministry will work with related organizations and companies to promote the 2024 Visit Korea Year with a systematic strategy,” said Park Jong-taek of the Tourism Policy Bureau. “We will also expand the campaign and will continue to closely track Korea's inbound travel rates.”

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]