The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is stepping up its on-the-ground campaign in China, forging partnerships that span global platforms, airlines and cruise operators to boost demand for travel to South Korea. The strategy aims to structurally grow inbound tourist numbers by connecting every stage of the travel journey, from online distribution channels to transportation.
KTO said Wednesday that President Park Sung-hyuk visited China from May 23 to 28, conducting in-person sales meetings with major platforms, airlines and cruise lines to expand cooperation. China is the largest source market for inbound tourists to South Korea, and the recovery trend is clear — Chinese tourist arrivals rose more than 14 percent year-on-year as of January this year.
The organization first strengthened collaboration with global online travel platforms. Through a business agreement with Trip.com, KTO will expand exposure of Korea-bound travel products and pursue joint marketing targeting approximately 600 million users across some 40 countries. KTO also signed a strategic partnership with JD.com, China's largest e-commerce company, to advance data-driven marketing. The plan is to leverage JD.com's massive membership data to precisely target outbound travel demand among China's middle class.
With Fliggy, an Alibaba-affiliated travel platform, KTO will develop tourism products linked to K-content to capture demand from free independent travelers (FIT). It is also pursuing off-season joint promotions and expanded repeat-visit packages with major Chinese online travel agencies including Qunar and Tongcheng.
KTO is simultaneously working to improve accessibility through transportation infrastructure partnerships. In Shanghai, the organization met with Adora Cruises, China's largest cruise operator, to discuss expanding port calls to Korean destinations including Busan and Yeosu. KTO proposed increasing Yeosu port calls in connection with the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, presenting a model for generating new demand by combining cruise tourism with regional events.
On the aviation front, KTO explored the possibility of launching new charter flights through strategic cooperation with China Airlines, linking regional airports such as Daegu and Cheongju. The aim is to disperse tourism demand currently concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area to other regions through expanded air service.
KTO also plans to build an integrated demand-generation system combining air routes, visa services and local marketing through cooperation among its five overseas offices in China, Korean Air and the Chinese visa application center in South Korea. The goal is to organically connect the entire process — from distribution of Korea-bound travel products to transportation and entry — to drive actual increases in visitor numbers.
"Preemptive action in China, our largest market, is key to achieving the target of 30 million foreign tourists ahead of schedule," President Park said. "We will expand demand for travel to Korea through a strategy combining platforms and transportation infrastructure, and connect this to the revitalization of regional tourism."