The Korea Tourism Organization innovates tourism promotion during the Covid-19 era.

Key activities organized by KTO during this period include the annual Korea MICE Tourism Fair (KME 2021), online Korea travel experience famtours, the K-pop Dance Cover Contest, and the K-friends Korea Tourism Ambassador program. Each program has its own unique characteristics, promising to attract significant interest from Vietnamese people in Korean tourism.

From June 29th to July 13th, for three consecutive weeks, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Korea, and the Incheon Tourism Promotion Bureau jointly organized the largest international tourism fair in Korea.Korea International Travel Expo (KITE 2021)The series of fairs comprises four main events, beginning with the MICE Tourism Fair, followed by the Tourism Trade Fair, the Luxury Tourism Fair, and the Therapeutic Tourism Fair, with a wide variety of accompanying activities.

Korea MICE ExpoKME 2021 is an annual event held since 2000, attracting hundreds of domestic and international MICE partners, experts, and leading event organizers from South Korea. KME 2021 was held from June 29th to July 2nd, both in-person and online, at the Songdo Convention Center in Incheon. The fair was expected to attract approximately 1,000 representatives from government agencies, departments, and local tourism promotion bureaus in South Korea, and 1,500 representatives from travel companies, hotels, tourism service businesses, and related industries, along with nearly 1,000 international partners, including over 40 representatives from Vietnam. This was the second year the fair was held online to adapt to the complex pandemic situation, providing unlimited access for partners from many countries around the world.

With themes revolving around the diverse fields of the MICE industry, KME 2021 primarily focuses on the restart of the tourism industry, analyzing the impact of digital technology on the upward development of the MICE industry after the Covid-19 pandemic, along with related perspectives and trends. Besides conferences, seminars, and presentations, KME 2021 will offer unique experiences through virtual reality tours, with itineraries including a range of unique event spaces, large-scale convention centers, and exclusive experiences for Incentive groups. Furthermore, the award for “Best MICE Business” will be presented at the KME 2021 Fair.

Also within the framework of the Korea International Tourism Fair KITE 2021,Famtour: Experience South Korea online.The event will be held from July 5th to 7th, with the participation of 900 partners from travel companies, tourism departments, hotels, airlines, the press, and related agencies. The program will take participants through three main themes over three days of the Famtour. On July 5th, focusing on the Hallyu wave, shopping, and trends, the Famtour will introduce the most popular Hallyu fan spots in Seoul; visit top Korean entertainment companies such as SM, YG, JYP, and HYPE; tour Seoul's most prominent alleyways like Seongsu-dong, Eulji-ro, and Hongdae; and showcase celebrity-run shops and trend-setting shopping destinations. July 6th will focus on cuisine (Michelin-star restaurants), featuring the most distinctive restaurants in Seoul and Busan. On July 7th, Famtour will take visitors on outdoor activities such as traditional Korean resort tourism, luxury resorts, and adventure sports. The three-day Famtour will offer a Korean travel experience that is both virtual and real, both near and far, strongly embodying the motto "Our Heart is Always Open" for everyone.

To further spread understanding of Korean tourism and culture, KTO has established...K-friends Community of Ambassadors promoting Korean tourismOn an online platform with the participation of young people who love Korea from all over the world, they post interesting information about Korean tourism, culture, and food on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Since its inception in 2020,K-friendsNearly 82,000 young people from many countries participated, including over 600 from Vietnam. In 2021, K-friends launched its logo: three adorable cartoon characters – Hojong the tiger, Mugo the bear, and Kawoo the crow. These three characters have accompanied the community through many events and competitions, bringing joy and excitement to participating members. K-friends hopes that even more young people will join the community and spread their love for Korean culture and tourism to everyone.

As part of the programHallyu OlympiadOrganized by KTO in all countries where it has branches, KTO Vietnam will organizeK-pop Cover Dance ContestSpanning two months, August and September, this competition is for young K-pop enthusiasts with total prizes worth up to 100 million VND. The contest promises to be an extremely vibrant and exciting platform for those who love Korea in general, and K-pop in particular, to showcase their talents and win valuable prizes.

“We hope that both South Korea and Vietnam will quickly complete nationwide vaccination, thereby opening up many opportunities for economic recovery, including tourism. South Korea is always ready to welcome Vietnamese tourists to visit and experience the country as soon as the pandemic ends,” said Park Jong Sun, Chief Representative of the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam.

PV