"My daughter also enjoys listening to K-pop. As more Britons want to visit Korea in person to experience K-culture, I was convinced that now is the optimal time to launch the route."
Dave Geer, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Virgin Atlantic, said this in an exclusive interview with The Seoul Economic Daily during his recent visit to Korea. Visiting the country for the first time to mark the launch of the Incheon-London Heathrow route, he explained the background behind the new service by saying, "We read the cultural current before calculating business demand."
Geer noted that demand to directly experience each other's culture is growing simultaneously in both Korea and the UK. In Korea, a rising number of travelers are flying to London to watch sporting events such as the English Premier League (EPL) and Formula 1 racing in person. While European travel in the past centered on package tours covering major historical sites and tourist attractions, travelers now first decide which match they want to see or which performance they want to attend before booking their flights, he explained.
In the UK, demand to visit Korea is also expanding as K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty penetrate daily life. Geer himself has been exposed to Korean culture regularly as a resident of New Malden, southwest London, known as Europe's largest Koreatown. "Korean culture, including Korean restaurants and supermarkets, has deeply permeated beyond New Malden into all parts of the UK," he said. "My daughter is also a K-pop fan."
Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster is also said to draw considerable inspiration from K-culture. Koster, who visited Korea with Geer, said, "K-pop, K-beauty, film, and fashion are shaping global trends and inspiring people to experience Korea firsthand." In other words, culture creates demand first, and the airline follows.
With the Incheon launch, Virgin Atlantic plans to accelerate building its Asian network. Following the Maldives in 2024, the airline is opening routes to Seoul this time and to Phuket in October in succession. "We are selectively launching routes only where clear and sustained demand has been confirmed," Geer said. "The Incheon-London route sufficiently met that standard."
Structural changes in travel demand are also cited as a backdrop for the launch. The airline judged that its addressable customer base has significantly broadened as independent travel, in which travelers arrange flights and accommodations separately, spreads at the expense of group package tours.
"Korean travelers are characterized by experience-oriented spending, high digital adoption, and a preference for immersive content," Geer said, explaining that Virgin Atlantic is emphasizing personalized journeys and digital services to target them. "We are focused on strengthening flexible booking systems and a seamless user experience," he added.
Virgin Atlantic currently operates Korea and Japan travel packages departing from the UK through its subsidiary Virgin Atlantic Holidays. As demand from Korea has recently increased, the company has entered a review stage to launch UK travel packages for Korean customers. "We are exploring ways to offer diverse travel experiences within the UK tailored to the Korean market," Geer said.
The airline is also stepping up efforts to build domestic partnerships. Since Virgin Atlantic has made differentiated service and premium experience its identity from its founding, it is working to find partners in Korea that match that profile. Its joint launch last month with Shinsegae Food of the "Taste of Britain" food market, which introduces British food culture to Korean consumers, is part of this effort.
Referring to Shinsegae Department Store's launch of "THE VIA," a brand that offers ultra-luxury travel experiences such as icebreaker cruises and private desert camps to VIP customers, Geer said, "We are continuously looking for premium local partners in Korea." Collaborations with influencers from both countries to introduce sports, music, and culinary content in both directions are also under way.
Geer said the airline will actively pursue tailored marketing to raise Virgin Atlantic's brand awareness in the Korean market. Asked to actively introduce Britain's distinctive festival culture, represented by Glastonbury, to Korean travelers, he responded, "That is exactly the task we need to solve." Virgin Atlantic is preparing a program to invite Korean media to the UK in May and June to experience local cultural content firsthand, and is also collaborating with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) UK office.
"Our goal goes beyond simply launching a route to jointly growing tourism demand between Korea and the UK," Geer said in closing. "We will play a role in establishing the UK as a must-visit destination for Koreans and Korea as a must-visit destination for Britons."
