Korea Tourism Organization announces the opening of Korea Culture and Tourism Festival 2019

Inks MOU with Outbound Tour Operators Association of India highlighting Korea as the Focus Country for 2019

Launches the India Friendly Restaurant guidebook

by Priya Jadhav

Mumbai,  April, 2019: Focused on promoting South Korea amongst general and business tourists and travelers in India, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), has announced a two-day experiential festival ‘Korea Festival 2019’ in Mumbai. The festival which has equal to offer for regular tourists as well as for travel trade in India commences today, April 12, 2019.

For its travel trade partners, KTO is organizing Tourism Travel Mart and Korea Night - a B2B initiative for Indian tour operators and other stakeholders to network and engage with key Korean delegation. Guests will get an opportunity to interact with nine Destination Management Companies and four Regional Tourism Organizations viz. Gimhae City (the land where Indian Princess Heo married the Korean King), Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (the region to which Dematerialized Zone belongs), Incheon Airport (the winner of best airport worldwide by ACI) and Jeju Tourism Organization (the only Island amongst the New 7 wonders of Nature), as well as film commissions including Korean Film Commission & Industry Network which represents all 12 film commissions of Korea and Seoul Film Commission, known to extend support to filming projects in Seoul. The nine destination travel companies present will help Indian tour operators understand more about the opportunities presented by South Korea.

For the general public and travel enthusiasts of Mumbai, the Culture and Tourism Festival will take place from 13^th-14^th April, 2019 at High Street Phoenix in Mumbai. This two-day extravaganza will exhibit the experiences across food, culture, music, tourism, etc. that South Korea offers. Alongside, a Korea Movie Weekend is also being organized by Korea Culture Centre at PVR Juhu, Mumbai.

The key attractions for visitors at the festival include performances by highly sought-after Korean artists including In2it, AlexandrA, Queen and Gamblers Crew. Visitors will also have an opportunity to experience traditional Korean costume - Hanbok wearing, name stamping in Korean alphabet Hangeul, mask painting, face painting, food tasting of Korean signature dishes like Bibimbap (rice dish) and Sujeonggwa (the cinnamon drink) and local Korean snacks sampling organized by AT Centre.

Designated zones like the Hallyu Zone, Performance Zone, Experience Zone, VR & Caligraphy Zone, Photo Zone, Game Zone, Food Zone, Regional Tourism Zone and Redemption Zone will further enhance and give one an opportunity to simply ‘Imagine Your Korea’. The festival is open to all with free entry. Indian travel agents will be present at the event and will  contribute with special offers on the Korea travel packages. The visitors can take away free K-Fest merchandise by taking stamp tour at RTO Zone.

As a part of the festival and the initiative to promote South Korea as a tourist destination in India, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being signed between KTO and Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) to significantly boost outbound tourism from India to South Korea with special focus on MICE. Through the MOU, OTOAI will prioritize South Korea as a Focus Country for 2019.  KTO and OTOAI will together organize multi-city seminars to increase awareness about general tourism as well as MICE tourism to South Korea. The signing of the MoU is being followed with the Launch of a Guidebook titled ‘Indian Friendly Restaurants in Korea’. The book is being launched with the aim to address the food concerns of Indian tourist in South Korea with a list of restaurants suitable to the Indian palate. 

Speaking on the launch of the Korean Festival 2019 in Mumbai, Mr. Kwon Jong Sool, Director, Korea Tourism Organization, said, “India has always been an important country for us. South Korea has immense to offer in terms of tourism for regular travelers as well as the MICE market. We believe there is tremendous untapped potential and this two-day festival will help us garner interest and create more awareness about South Korea amongst Indian travelers. We will continue to invest in promoting Korea for Indian travelers and this MoU reinstates our attempt in doing so. We look forward to a long-standing partnership with the OTOAI in making Korea a first choice for India travelers.”

Also present at the event, Mr. Park Jeong Ha, Executive Vice-President, KTO International Tourism Division further added, “We are very pleased to host the Korea Culture and Tourism Festival in Mumbai, the center for economy and tourism industry in India. The festival will allow Indians to feel and experience traditional as well as modern Korean culture. The number of Indians travelling to South Korea is on the rise. Around 100,000 Indians visited South Korea in 2018 and the numbers are growing with an average rate of 10-15% year on year. With our New Southern Policy being emphasised by President Mr. Moon Jae In, we are positive that India will be one of the important markets to drive growth in terms of tourist numbers."

About KTO:  Korea Tourism Organization New Delhi Office is the branch office of KTO. It was established in May 2008 to market South Korea's multi-faceted appeal as a premier tourist destination to India and its neighboring countries. 

Visit: www.visitkorea.in

Introduction to Korean Delegation

1.       Gyeonggi Tourism Organization

Gyeonggi-do surrounds the capital Seoul and is located in central area of the Korean Peninsula. It has great accessibility from Seoul and Incheon International Airport. Gyeonggi has unique tourism attraction such as DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). DMZ is the border of South and North Korea. We also have UNESCO World Heritages, theme parks, filming sites of Korean drama and movies. Let’s explore ‘Hidden Treasure Gyeonggi’!

2.       Jeju Tourism Organization

The Jeju Tourism Organization was established by the Jeju provincial government in 2008 to promote the island’s tourism industry and domestic and international reputation, boost local economic development and the increase the welfare of local residents. It works closely with international, national and local agencies and organizations in sectors related to tourism, the environment, and trade.

3.       Gimhae city

Gimhae is famous as the place where Princess Heo from Ayodhya in India met and later married King Suro of the Gaya kingdom. Gimhae used to be a significant city in the ancient Korean Gaya kingdom and hence has plenty of famous historical sites. At the same time, Gimhae has built up a solid transportation infrastructure over the years making it more accessible to the global market as well as all areas of Korea.

4.       Incheon International Airport Corporation

 As a main gateway of Korea, Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) is connecting over 50 countries and 181 destinations in the world. At ICN, the best airport in the world for 12 consecutive years, passengers may experience the high-quality service and facilities. Incheon Airport would be the best choice for Indian travellers to Korea and transit travellers to Asia-Pacific region.

5.       Korea Film Commissions & Industry Network (KFCIN)

The Korea Film Commission & Industry Network is the national body representing all 12 Korean film commissions covering almost all of Korea. With the goal of inspiring regional and national economic growth by attracting domestic and international film productions, providing production-related support and exposing local attractions through audio-visual products, and encouraging a well-balanced development of a national-scale film and audio-visual industry through rigorous regional exchange, the Korea Film Commissions & Industry Network has made multilateral efforts to create a brand name for the domestic audio-visual industry. From 2015, the network expanded its operations to marketing Korea as a filming location internationally and acting as the major inbound contact point representing all regional film commissions.

6.       Seoul Film Commission

Seoul Film Commission is a one-stop shop for national and international film and TV productions. Since its foundation in 2002, we have provided support to more than 2,000 productions ensuring a film friendly environment. With the systematic support of the Seoul

Metropolitan Government and other related agencies, we provide a variety of support to projects shot in Seoul, including up-to 30% cash rebate.  

Performances by Korean artists

	○ Fusion Korean classical music(Gukak) Group “Queen”  - the five-member female group founded in 2008.   - It consists of pansori, Gayageum, Daegeum, Janggu, and electronic violin.
	○ B-Boying- “Gamblerz Crew”  - B-boying team formed in 2002.  - BOTY(Battle Of The Year) World Congress   2003, 2005, 2010 3rd grade / 2004, 2009 Winning
	○ K-Pop Group - IN2IT  - A graduate Boy group of Mnet's audition program "Boy 24" in 2016. Current in CJ ENM - Top annual performance ticket sales for 2017 - Debuted in Oct. 2017. 400 performances at home and abroad
	○ K-POP a female solo “AlexA” - 2016-2017 Winning 'Rising Legend' hosted by Soompi - Appear on Viki 'Legendary – Making of Popstar'   - Participate in ‘Produce 48” of Mnet as a trainee of ZBLabel

Korean Festival Map @ High Street Phoenix, Mumbai

Performance Zone

Visitors can watch performances by highly sought-after Korean artists like In2it, AlexandrA, Queen and Gamblers Crew at the performance zone.

Game Zone

The game zone will teach you about traditional south games including Tuho (Pitch Pot), Jegichangi (Shuttlecock), Ddkaji (Slap Match). Koreans are known to enjoy games throughout history with family and friends, and the games create a sense of community. Learn some traditional South Korean games and unleash the sportsman in you.

RTO Zone

Meet and know more about South Korea from 4 regional tourism operators. You can also begin planning your next holiday here.

KTO Reception

The KTO reception will serve as a help desk. The KTO reception is also the starting point of the stamp tour. Visitors can take the stamp tour to win exciting Korean Festival Merchandise at the Redemption booth.

Redemption Booth

The Redemption zone is an opportunity to win exciting goodies. Submit the stamped leaflet and spin the roulette to complete your Korea festival experience.

Food Zone

South Korea is a paradise for the foodies. The local cuisine is one of the best ways to experience a country’s culture. Visit the food zone to experience Korean culture, and history through traditional local dishes.

Mask Painting

Indulge in the artistic creativity of mask painting and create a Korean masks of your choice. Moreover, Mascot Sketch is an opportunity for kids to colour the Korea Festival mascots.

Photo Booth

An opportunity to wear the  traditional Korean dress The Hanbok awaits you at the photobooth. The Hanbok is a  semi-formal or formal attire worn during traditional occasions such as festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies. It is characterized by vibrant colours and simple lines without pockets. Put on The Hankbok and step in to the Photo Booth to get a photograph taken against a background of your choice.

Name Stamp and Calligraphy Booth

Visit the name stamp zone to get your name stamped on Korean handmade paper in Hangeul which is a beautiful Korean script and one which is very easy for all to learn. One can also visit to learn and know more about the Korean tradition of artistic writing. 

 

Hallyu Zone

Hallyu - The Korean Wave refers to the increase in global popularity of South Korean culture since the 1990s. Visit the Hallyu zone to experience the best of Korean TV Dramas, Films, K-Pop and much more.

 

Face Painting and VR Zone

Visit the face painting zone to play around with some Korean stickers and tattoos. The VR Zone will give one an experience of Korea. Experience some of the must visit tourist destinations virtually. A few of the attractions in South Korea include the  Namsan Seoul Tower, Chuncheon’s Namiseom Island, Jeonju Hanok Village, as well as newly added attractions with a view of nature such as Wonju Sogeumsan Mountain Suspension Bridge, Danyang Mancheonha Skywalk, and Oedo-Botania.