South Korea in hot pursuit of Indians

KOREA Tourism Organization (KTO) is targeting 100,000 arrivals from India in 2013, having identified a wide range of offerings that will appeal to the market ranging from traditional homestays to cuisine.

KTO will focus on developing high-quality tourism products and special incentive programmes for tour operators and travel consultants, while also promoting cultural events, sports, cuisine, temples and traditional homestays to Indian travellers.

After a very successful foray in New Delhi, KTO opened its second Indian office in Mumbai last year. South Korea saw 92,000 Indian visitors in 2012.

Lee Jae-Sang, director, KTO India, said: “We will provide detailed information and product knowledge to the travel trade, as well as promote the destination through roadshows along with advertising, joint promotions, tradeshows and fam trips on a pan-India basis.”

South Korea is also keen to ride on the wave of Bollywood films being shot in foreign locations, in addition to its appeal as one of the top five convention destinations in the world.

Vineet Gopal, secretary, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India and managing director, Engee Holidays, said: “MICE and film tourism will require designing packages to suit these travel segments. The potential for growth is enormous as Indians are looking for new destinations all the time.”