Attracting More Foreign Tourists to Seoul
Published on | Source
With the spread of Hallyu and the K-pop fever, more and more tourists are visiting the capital city of Korea. Although the global tourism market took a hit from the financial crisis, tourists continue to flock to Seoul.
Last year, Seoul welcomed some 7.95 million foreigners, and 3 million so far this year.
[Interview : Jack Corpuz, Tourist The Philippines] "Hallyu has been sweeping across Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, causing a sharp increase in Seoul-bound tourists".
Moreover, the selection of Pyeongchang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics has further increased the interest of foreigners in Seoul. For this reason, the city of Seoul is developing more and better tour packages for foreign tourists.
[Interview : Koo Bon-sang, Head of Tourism Division Seoul Metropolitan Government] "In order to provide a better experience to foreign tourists, we are providing materials and relevant information such as travel agencies and bus tours".
Last year, the city of Seoul built an infrastructure that allowed travel agencies to develop a wide range of packages.
These so-called "Seoul Tour Packages" gave foreigners a chance to enjoy Seoul fully at an affordable price.
[Interview : Ko Wui-sung, Section chief City of Seoul Tourism and Marketing Authority] "Many tourists are greatly satisfied by the fact that they can enjoy both the modern and traditional aspects of Seoul boasts in a short period of time. "
According to a survey that was carried out among the foreigners who used these packages, more than 82% were satisfied with them.
[Interview : Tourist from Thailand] "These tour packages as well as the distribution of multilingual travel brochures have made Seoul a tourist paradise".
And now, the number of foreigners from not just Southeast Asia but also the US, Europe, and other nations is on a steady rise.
Korea has also begun to attract many shoppers. An average tourist from abroad spends about 1,300 US dollars in Seoul.
Seizing this opportunity, the Seoul government began the Seoul Summer Sale, which combines sightseeing, shopping, and cultural experiences for foreigners.
[Interview : Ko Eun-ae, Staff Seoul Summer Sale] "This event is held by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for foreign tourists. During the event, we offer various discount cards and language-related services to help the tourists have a great time sightseeing and shopping".
Located in Myeong-dong, Seoul, is a Seoul Summer Sale booth. Here, all kinds of events are held to double the fun for foreign tourists who are enjoying the Seoul Summer Sale.
[Interview : Ko Eun-ae, Staff Seoul Summer Sale] "Many foreigners are quite amazed by the Seoul Summer Sale. They participate in various events and enjoy themselves".
[Interview : Tourist from Japan] "The prices are much lower than in Japan, and I love the product designs. So all in all, I'm very satisfied".
Seoul also offers a wide range of cultural experiences at affordable prices. World-famous performances are also included in the Seoul Summer Sale.
[Interview : Tourist from Japan] "I found out about this in magazines and TV commercials in Japan".
The governmental programs that promote Seoul provide information about the cultural tour packages to be found in the city.
[Interview : Paek Soo-jin, Marketing manager NANTA] "Participating in the Seoul Summer Sale has brought us a wider variety of audience members, from those who already knew about our performance to those who had never heard of it before".
Thanks to the Seoul government's efforts to make the capital city into a popular tourist destination, the city is now poised to become the best of its kind in Asia.
[Interview : Koo Bon-sang, Head of Tourism Division Seoul Metropolitan Government] "Starting from next year, we are going to take a more systematic approach in promoting Seoul as a tourist destination. For example, we plan to provide information through our websites or through SNS, and also go abroad to hold information sessions and participate in tourism fairs. We will also look into which strategies work best for each country and region".
[STUDIO]
Every year the services for foreign tourists and foreign residents seem to get better and better.
And so these days I think that I should just vacation here in Seoul on the weekends.
Right even if you live here you can get accommodations or sign up for a tour package or go on a walking tour. There's certainly so much to do.
And then it becomes much easier to show people around the great city.
It's such a great town.
Last year, Seoul welcomed some 7.95 million foreigners, and 3 million so far this year.
[Interview : Jack Corpuz, Tourist The Philippines] "Hallyu has been sweeping across Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, causing a sharp increase in Seoul-bound tourists".
Moreover, the selection of Pyeongchang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics has further increased the interest of foreigners in Seoul. For this reason, the city of Seoul is developing more and better tour packages for foreign tourists.
[Interview : Koo Bon-sang, Head of Tourism Division Seoul Metropolitan Government] "In order to provide a better experience to foreign tourists, we are providing materials and relevant information such as travel agencies and bus tours".
Last year, the city of Seoul built an infrastructure that allowed travel agencies to develop a wide range of packages.
These so-called "Seoul Tour Packages" gave foreigners a chance to enjoy Seoul fully at an affordable price.
[Interview : Ko Wui-sung, Section chief City of Seoul Tourism and Marketing Authority] "Many tourists are greatly satisfied by the fact that they can enjoy both the modern and traditional aspects of Seoul boasts in a short period of time. "
According to a survey that was carried out among the foreigners who used these packages, more than 82% were satisfied with them.
[Interview : Tourist from Thailand] "These tour packages as well as the distribution of multilingual travel brochures have made Seoul a tourist paradise".
And now, the number of foreigners from not just Southeast Asia but also the US, Europe, and other nations is on a steady rise.
Korea has also begun to attract many shoppers. An average tourist from abroad spends about 1,300 US dollars in Seoul.
Seizing this opportunity, the Seoul government began the Seoul Summer Sale, which combines sightseeing, shopping, and cultural experiences for foreigners.
[Interview : Ko Eun-ae, Staff Seoul Summer Sale] "This event is held by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for foreign tourists. During the event, we offer various discount cards and language-related services to help the tourists have a great time sightseeing and shopping".
Located in Myeong-dong, Seoul, is a Seoul Summer Sale booth. Here, all kinds of events are held to double the fun for foreign tourists who are enjoying the Seoul Summer Sale.
[Interview : Ko Eun-ae, Staff Seoul Summer Sale] "Many foreigners are quite amazed by the Seoul Summer Sale. They participate in various events and enjoy themselves".
[Interview : Tourist from Japan] "The prices are much lower than in Japan, and I love the product designs. So all in all, I'm very satisfied".
Seoul also offers a wide range of cultural experiences at affordable prices. World-famous performances are also included in the Seoul Summer Sale.
[Interview : Tourist from Japan] "I found out about this in magazines and TV commercials in Japan".
The governmental programs that promote Seoul provide information about the cultural tour packages to be found in the city.
[Interview : Paek Soo-jin, Marketing manager NANTA] "Participating in the Seoul Summer Sale has brought us a wider variety of audience members, from those who already knew about our performance to those who had never heard of it before".
Thanks to the Seoul government's efforts to make the capital city into a popular tourist destination, the city is now poised to become the best of its kind in Asia.
[Interview : Koo Bon-sang, Head of Tourism Division Seoul Metropolitan Government] "Starting from next year, we are going to take a more systematic approach in promoting Seoul as a tourist destination. For example, we plan to provide information through our websites or through SNS, and also go abroad to hold information sessions and participate in tourism fairs. We will also look into which strategies work best for each country and region".
[STUDIO]
Every year the services for foreign tourists and foreign residents seem to get better and better.
And so these days I think that I should just vacation here in Seoul on the weekends.
Right even if you live here you can get accommodations or sign up for a tour package or go on a walking tour. There's certainly so much to do.
And then it becomes much easier to show people around the great city.
It's such a great town.
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