Korea Tourism Organization Launches Travel Service Improvement Campaign for Foreign Tourists

*This content was translated by AI.

Foreign tourists are increasingly visiting not only major cities such as Seoul, but also regional areas. Foreign tourists visiting the regions are becoming important customers in their own right.

In line with this trend, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) (President Park Sung-hyuk, hereinafter referred to as the KTO) is conducting a tourism service improvement campaign titled "Unlock Your Korea: Go Local" to enable foreign tourists to travel conveniently throughout various local areas.

The campaign, running from October 7 to December 13, was designed to reduce inconveniences that foreign tourists may experience in transportation, consumption, and overall travel experiences from the moment they set foot in Korea, and to create a more convenient tourism environment. The campaign targets gateway cities where Cheongju, Daegu, and Gimhae airports are located, as well as Incheon, Pyeongtaek, and Gunsan ports, and their adjacent regions.

First, the KTO will expand mobile payment and post-tax-refund infrastructure at local shops, including traditional markets, to enhance convenience in payments and shopping. It will also conduct joint promotions with "WOWPASS," a payment and commerce platform exclusively for foreigners. When paying 10,000 won or more per transaction for food and beverage or shopping purposes in local commercial areas, customers receive an immediate cashback of 2,000 won per transaction, allowing each person to enjoy a total cashback benefit of up to 12,000 won across a maximum of six transactions.

An integrated pass has also been introduced to improve tourists' mobility convenience and satisfaction during their stay. The "K-Tour Pass," which offers combined discounts on transportation and tourist attractions, is available in Busan, a destination highly preferred by foreign visitors. Purchasing the pass allows users to receive discounted fares for direct airport rail trains and free admission to one of 35 paid tourist attractions in Busan.

Additionally, the KTO will strengthen tourism information provision and commercialize region-specific content so that foreign tourists can easily find where to stay and what to enjoy locally. It will significantly expand information on high-quality accommodation facilities, such as Hanok (traditional Korean houses), near regional airports and ports to provide customized lodging information, and enhance multilingual interpretation and guidance services through the 1330th tourism interpretation hotline. Alongside this, the KTO plans to develop travel products linked to major local food festivals, such as the Daegu Tteokbokki Festival and the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, and conduct joint promotions through its overseas offices and global online travel agencies (OTAs).

Min Byung-sun, Head of the Tourism Industry Division at the KTO, stated, "Through this campaign, we will create an environment where foreign tourists can easily obtain travel information from the moment they visit regional areas via local airports and ports, and conveniently enjoy attractive local content."

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*This content was translated by AI.