*This content was translated by AI.
Japanese tourists make up the largest share of foreign visitors to Korea. Since 2023, Korea and Japan have become each other's top travel destinations. Last year, 25% (3.65 million) of Japan's outbound travelers (14.73 million) visited Korea, while 32% (9.46 million) of Korea's outbound travelers (29.55 million) visited Japan, establishing them as each other's number one destination for mutual visits.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Choi Hwi-young, hereinafter "the Ministry") will intensify marketing efforts to highlight the charm of regional tourism in Korea to Japanese audiences, focusing on Andong, Gyeongbuk, which has gained renewed attention following the Korea-Japan summit held on May 19 (Tuesday). The goal is to attract even more Japanese tourists to visit Korea.
The number of Japanese tourists visiting Korea is expected to rise further, suggesting that these efforts will yield positive results.
Notably, during this year's Golden Week holiday (the 29th to the 6th), 110,000 Japanese tourists visited Korea, marking a 53% increase compared to the same period last year. Since the beginning of the year, the number of Japanese visitors to Korea has grown by more than 20% compared to the same period last year.
Starting this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been collaborating with the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) to include Andong in the "Top 30 Small Cities in Korea" list, supporting the development and marketing of travel packages for Japanese tourists. Since April, seminars have been held in major Japanese cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai, and Sapporo to encourage the commercialization of these packages.
In connection with the Japanese Prime Minister's upcoming visit, special travel packages featuring attractions such as the Andong Sunyu Jumble Fire Festival will be launched in collaboration with Japanese travel agencies. The "Sunyu Jumble Fire Festival" events scheduled for October 3 and 17 will be included as key content, along with some itineraries covering Hama's "Nakka Festival" and Jinju's "Namgang Yudeung Festival" in a 3-night, 4-day package. Starting from late May, major Japanese travel agencies such as HIS, Hankyu Transportation, and Yomiuri Travel will begin selling these special travel packages to Korea.
Additionally, diverse themed products will be developed to allow visitors to experience the unique charm and cuisine of Andong, taking into account the visit sites and banquet menus of the two leaders that drew attention during the summit. To develop comprehensive packages covering local specialties such as visits to Hahoe Village, Hanok stays, and Andong Jjimdak, a pre-inspection tour (fam tour) for key personnel from major Japanese travel agencies will be conducted in June.
Extensive marketing efforts will also follow in Japan. Special features highlighting the charm of Andong and advertisements for travel packages will be published in the Asahi Shimbun (late May) and Nishinippon Shimbun (mid-June). Popular programs on TV Asahi and TBS will be utilized to introduce Andong's tourist attractions and activities.
Online promotion will also be strengthened. Starting in June, promotional campaigns for Andong travel linked to flights from Daegu Airport will be conducted in collaboration with major Japanese online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Rakuten Travel and Expedia. Promotional videos co-created with local content creators will be posted on major social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube to generate word-of-mouth buzz. In October, a "Daegu·Andong Medical Wellness Story Show" featuring famous Japanese celebrity Matsuoka Mitsuru will be held to further encourage Japanese tourists to visit Andong.
> said, "This Korea-Japan summit presents an excellent opportunity to widely promote Andong's unique traditional culture, culinary delights, and Hanok charm to the Japanese market." He added, "We also plan to consistently introduce the hidden gems of tourist destinations like Andong to foreign visitors."
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*This content was translated by AI.
