The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization are holding a large-scale tourism promotion campaign in Japan. The initiative aims to boost demand for visits to Korea ahead of Japan's Golden Week holiday.
The ministry and tourism organization announced they will hold the "K-Tourism Roadshow" in three cities—Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka—from April 9 to 30. The event is designed to sustain the recent upward trend in Japanese visitors to Korea. Japan is a key market accounting for approximately 20% of all foreign visitors to Korea, with arrivals reaching a record 3.65 million last year and continuing to grow this year.
The roadshow combines business-to-business (B2B) activities with business-to-consumer (B2C) promotions. In Osaka on April 9, a tourism briefing and business consultation session will be held to explore partnership opportunities with travel, airline, and hotel industry representatives. Similar briefings, lectures, and consultation sessions will follow in Tokyo.
Experiential events targeting general consumers are also planned. A "Korea Travel Festival" offering hands-on experiences of K-culture, including Korean cuisine and beauty, will be held in Tokyo's Roppongi district on April 11-12, featuring programs with Hallyu stars such as Sung Si-kyung. In Fukuoka on April 30, performances and tourism promotion events featuring Hwang Min-hyun will take place.
Fukuoka in particular will serve as a strategic hub targeting short-trip demand, leveraging the approximately one-hour flight time from Gimhae to Fukuoka. Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will also visit the venues to discuss cooperation with Japan's travel industry and oversee event operations.
"Given that Japanese visitors to Korea reached a record high last year, our goal this year is to attract even more tourists," Vice Minister Kim said. "Through this roadshow, we will make it easier for Japanese tourists to visit Korea."