Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation is launching a campaign to attract Chinese tourists with a themed tour featuring sites visited by Chinese President Xi Jinping during last year's APEC summit.
The themed tour package includes the Gyeongju National Museum and the original Hwangnam-bread bakery, where Xi sampled the local specialty.
Marketing efforts will focus on China's three northeastern provinces—Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang—where group tour packages account for a significant share of sales.
The corporation plans to capitalize on rising demand for travel to South Korea following the temporary visa-free program for Chinese group tourists, which runs through June.
The corporation recently hosted a familiarization tour for representatives from major Chinese retail travel agencies to promote group tour packages.
"Through the themed tour package sales, we aim to increase foreign tourists visiting Gyeongju by more than 20% year-on-year in the first half of this year," said Kim Nam-il, CEO of Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation.