South Korea organizes numerous tourism promotion activities in Vietnam.

In the first half of 2020, the world was severely affected in many aspects by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The tourism industries of both South Korea and Vietnam suffered a severe downturn, resulting in significant economic losses. According to statistics from the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of international visitors to South Korea in the first five months of 2020 was over 2.1 million, a decrease of 231.44% compared to the same period last year. The number of Vietnamese visitors to South Korea alone reached only 73,490, a decrease of 195.19% compared to the same period last year. This represents an unprecedented decline in the South Korean tourism industry.

To date, Vietnam and South Korea are considered two countries with effective pandemic control records, showing positive prospects for recovery. Therefore, to re-attract Vietnamese tourists to choose South Korea as a destination after the pandemic, KTO Vietnam has been organizing a series of activities to re-promote the image of South Korea through online channels combined with events held in Vietnam.

Kicking off KTO's series of tourism re-promotion activities was the "Relive your Korea trip" photo contest, held from April to June 2020, aiming to evoke fond memories of Korea for tourists and inspire a desire to return to Korea as soon as the pandemic ends.

Specifically for the Vietnamese market, KTO will organize a dance competition inspired by Yoona, a member of the popular girl group Girls' Generation (SNSD), from KTO's promotional videos for Korean tourism. The “Korea Tourism Yoona Dance Cover Challenge” is scheduled to take place in August or September of this year. Alongside the dance competition, an offline event, “Experience a New Korea – Korea Travel Experience Booth,” is planned to be held in Hanoi for three months – from August to October – in the form of a booth with various engaging activities.

KTO will offer an authentic Korean tourism experience with diverse themes that change monthly, such as K-pop, K-beauty, K-drama (Korean dramas), nature, famous tourist destinations, etc. At this special booth, visitors can participate in many different exciting activities such as K-pop dance performances, Korean cooking classes, Korean makeup classes, quizzes with prizes, and learn more about general information about Korean tourism.

KTO plans to organize the "Korean Days in Hanoi 2020" program in November this year, featuring the introduction of new tourist destinations, new tour packages, and a variety of cultural experiences.

An indispensable activity of KTO is coordinating with Vietnamese travel companies in campaigns to build and develop sales of Korean tourism products. KTO will always stand alongside travel companies to overcome this difficult period and recover and develop Korean tours.

“Due to the impact of the pandemic, we are facing many difficulties in recovery. We always appreciate and pay close attention to the Vietnamese market because Vietnam has been and continues to be one of the key markets for Korean tourism. Through activities to re-promote Korean tourism in the second half of 2020, we hope to contribute to strongly boosting tourism exchanges between the two countries in the near future,” said Mr. Park Jong Sun, Chief Representative of the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam.

My Tong