The Korea Tourism Organization Joins Hands with KTC to ExpandTourism Market Through the Launch of the “Korea Everything” Campaign

The Korea Tourism Organization partners with KTC to establish a long-term strategy to encourage more Thai people to plan trips to Korea. Building upon the success of last year, which surpassed expectations, the “Korea Everything” campaign was launched to encapsulate the essence of Korean tourism in 3 dimensions: K – Food, K – Fun, and K – Culture, empowering tourists to tailor their plans according to their lifestyles. KTC offers exclusive privileges to its members, offering up to 10x KTC FOREVER points / the option of 0% interest installment payments for 6 months, or KTC FOREVER point redemption for discounts. Additionally, members get a chance to win a free 5-day, 3-night travel package along the Busan route!!! Simply by qualifying as the highest spender with a KTC credit card at KTC World Travel Service or at participating department stores.

Mr. Sang-Woo Yi, Director, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), revealed that in 2023, around 380,000 tourists from Thailand visited Korea, indicating a recovery in tourism to pre-COVID levels. Korea and the Thai government have collaboratively initiated the “2023 – 2024 Korea – Thailand Visit Year” project to encourage both Korean and Thai tourists to explore each other’s countries more frequently. The Korea Tourism Organization organized the “Korea Everywhere” mega event across 4 major venues in Bangkok simultaneously, last year for large-scale promotion.

In 2024, KTO organized the YES, Korea Travel event in last March across 3 main cities: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, which received positive responses from Thai tourists keen on immersing themselves in Korean culture and contemplating trips to Korea. Numerous projects centered around Korean culture and leveraging social media are in the pipeline. An upcoming project for May and July is the “Korea-Thailand Food Travel Week” food-related events in both Thailand and Korea, in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Renowned Thai chef “Jay Fai” will join an event in Korea, experiencing local Korean cuisine and serving as a representative for the Korea-Thailand Visit Year. Furthermore, KTO supports tourism office representatives and the media by facilitating their exploration of Korean tourism offerings, and providing captivating information tailored for Thai tourists for public relations purposes.

Ms. Arinchaya Lertwattanachai, Marketing Manager, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), stated that the current trend in Korean tourism among Thai travelers has shifted from purchasing tour packages to planning their own trips. Referred to as FIT (Free Independent Travelers), they typically travel in small groups, such as with friends or family members. This trend is driven by Korea’s reputation as a comfortable destination, where tourists can arrange their own travel logistics through KTC World Travel Service, including booking plane tickets, accommodations, and various activities, or through hotel booking websites or OTAs (Online Travel Agents), which provide a convenient one-stop service. Building upon this trend, KTO has devised a marketing strategy for 2024 in collaboration with KTC, leading to the launch of the “Korea Everything” campaign. This campaign encapsulates the essence of Korean tourism across 3 main dimensions: K-Food, K-Fun and K-Culture, offering tourists the flexibility to choose activities according to their different lifestyles or preferences, highlighting 2 main routes: Seoul and Busan.