The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Choi Hwi-young) announced Tuesday that it will intensify marketing efforts in Japan to promote the appeal of Korea's regional tourism, including Gyeongbuk's Andong, which has drawn fresh attention following the recent Korea-Japan summit, in order to attract more Japanese tourists to Korea.
The government, in cooperation with Korean travel agencies, will launch special inbound tourism products tied to the Japanese prime minister's reciprocal visit, including the "Andong Seonyu Julbulnori," in collaboration with Japanese travel agencies. The "Seonyu Julbulnori" events to be held on October 3 and 17 are featured as key content, with some itineraries offering a four-day, three-night course that also includes Haman's "Nakhwanori" and Jinju's "Namgang Lantern Festival." Major Japanese travel agencies including HIS, Hankyu Travel, and Yomiuri Travel will sell the special inbound tourism products starting in late May.
Drawing on the venues visited and dinner menus enjoyed by the two leaders during the summit, the ministry will also develop diverse themed products that allow visitors to experience the elegance and cuisine of Andong.
To develop comprehensive packages encompassing visits to Hahoe Village, hanok stays, and local delicacies such as Andong jjimdak (braised chicken), a familiarization tour (fam tour) for officials from major Japanese travel agencies will be conducted in June.
Large-scale local marketing will follow to give Japanese tourists a firsthand sense of Andong's appeal. Special feature articles spotlighting Andong's charms and travel product advertisements will run in the Asahi Shimbun (late May) and Nishinippon Shimbun (during June), while popular programs on TV Asahi and TBS will be used to introduce Andong's tourist attractions and activities.
Online promotion will also be strengthened. Starting in June, the ministry will run Andong travel promotions linked to Daegu Airport flights with major Japanese online travel agencies (OTAs) including Rakuten Travel and Expedia, and will post promotional videos produced in collaboration with local content creators on major social networks including Instagram and YouTube to generate word-of-mouth interest. In October, the "Daegu-Andong Medical Wellness Story Show" featuring popular Japanese entertainer Mitsuru Matsuoka will also be held to support Japanese tourists' visits to Andong.
"We will work to establish Andong as a tourist destination loved by the Japanese through special products that let visitors experience the routes and cuisine enjoyed by the two leaders, along with all-around local marketing. We also plan to continuously promote to foreigners the appeal of hidden-gem tourist destinations across the regions, just like Andong," Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said.
Meanwhile, Korea and Japan are each other's most-visited countries. Last year, 25 percent (3.65 million) of Japan's 14.73 million overseas travelers visited Korea, while 32 percent (9.46 million) of Korea's 29.55 million overseas travelers visited Japan, making them the top destination for each other. During this year's Golden Week holiday (April 29 to May 6), 110,000 Japanese visited Korea, up 53 percent from the same period last year, and the number of Japanese visitors to Korea since the start of the year has risen by more than 20 percent year-on-year.
Andong is one of Korea's representative historical and cultural cities, home to four UNESCO World Heritage sites including Hahoe Village, Bongjeongsa Temple, Dosan Seowon, and Byeongsan Seowon. The city offers a rich array of traditional cultural content, including the beautiful night views of Woryeonggyo Bridge and the tranquil scenery of Gosanjeong Pavilion, as well as the centuries-old "Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori" and the National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori" mask dance. Last year, foreign visits to Andong reached 265,000, of which Japanese visits totaled 16,000.
