KTO AIMS TO TAP THE INDIAN MICE MARKET
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Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), which has been promoting its tourism products in India, recently organised a ‘Korean Night’ to create awareness about its tourism offerings among the Indian travel trade fraternity. The occasion was also used to honor their Indian trade partners who have supported the entity in promoting Korea in India.
The delegation, led by Sang – Hoon Na, Executive Director, KTO and comprising select Korean DMCs such as US Travels, Kim’s Travel, Bosuk Tours and Jane Tour, interacted with their Indian counterparts. He said that India is one of the fastest growing outbound market in the world. “Korea is a diverse destination with a unique blend of history, culture, and modernity. With over 5,000 years of history, Korea is a country full of colours and breathtaking natural beauty. We witnessed 12 million foreign visitors in 2013, out of which 123,000 were from India. We are working on customised marketing strategies in different markets,” he added.
South Korea expects two lakh Indians every year for the next five years with an average annual growth of 10 per cent. Speaking on the occasion, Joon Gyu Lee, Korean Ambassador to India, said that India and Korea shares a long history. “Our bilateral trade has grown many folds. We have invited Indian Prime Minister to Visit Korea and his visit can take place during the first half of 2015. We will leave no stone unturned to promote tourism between both countries. We aim to make Korean and Indian people the best of friends,” he said. India currently host many Korean companies such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai.
KTO also officially launched its new brand ‘Imagine Your Korea’. Launching the new tagline, Byugnsun Lee, Director, KTO – India, said that we continuously try to enhance our engagement with our partners to increase tourist flow from India. He said that the new branding promotes various facets of Korea’s tourism offerings. Lee also highlighted the MICE potential of Korea and said it is important for the decision makers of Indian corporates to experience Korea’s MICE products and offerings. “We are trying to focus on promoting leisure tourism from India to South Korea. We are promoting Seoul and Jeju Island as twin destinations and are starting a joint campaign in the Indian market,” he added.
KTO appreciated its co-marketing partner’s efforts and honoured them with trophies. The partners were Akbar Holidays, Cox & Kings, Ezeego1, Kesari Tours, Orbitz, MakeMyTrip, Thomas Cook (India), TUI India and Mercury Travels.