Korea turns up the heat on tourism

The Korean Tourism Organization celebrated a boom in tourism to Korea with an exclusive party at the PARKROYAL Hotel Sydney.

In association with Gangwon Province, the organisation hosted the Korea Tourism Roadshow for agents and tour operator partners, with tasty Korean cuisine prepared for guests by Korean executive chef Ryan Hong.

Korean Tourism Organization’s director Sangweon Je said tourism to Korea from Australia has been growing consistently in recent years.

“In 2014 we saw over 141,200 Australians visit Korea and from Jan -April this year there were 43,212 Australians visit Korea, a 9% increase over the same period last year,” he said.

“For visitors, Korea has so many unique aspects to enjoy that you can’t experience elsewhere, whether your interest lies in its 5000 years of history and culture or the latest K-Pop band, the trendy fashion scene or just the amazing variety of Korean foods that you can enjoy around the country.”

Special guest and 2012 Masterchef contestant Amina Elshafei also joined the party, fresh off the back of her ‘Seoul Searching’ trip to Korea, where she experienced a myriad of cultural adventures.

“Korea is a place of spectacular scenery, incredible history and of course, delectable food,” she said.

“And Seoul is anything but boring.”

Korea is also carving tracks in the snow industry, taking a leaf out of Japan’s book and targeting the Australian market.

“We have a different snow scene than Japan,” Gangwon Province’s marketing manager Minjeong Lee said in her address at the Roadshow.

“We have nine world class ski resorts, and each resort has its own ski slopes. We cater for everyone from beginners to experts, and the resorts are so compact and share the area with other kinds of entertainment like hot springs and indoor water parks.”

The Gangwon Province is also gearing up to host the Winter Olympics in 2018, showing off Korea’s prowess as an international snow destination.

Imagine Your Korea is the latest campaign to entice travellers to the country, and just recently, the tourism board sent two Aussie Instagrammers and photographers William Patino and Anjo Miranda to explore Korea.

“The Samsung NX1 Traveller trip was a great way to get an insight into the diverse South Korean culture, which is as vibrant as the landscapes,” Patino told Travel Weekly.

“I had the privilege of exploring some amazing locations, great company and absorbing the Korean culture. I think the best way to experience this place was to take your time and to make sure you regularly look up.”

You can check out a couple of the shots from the night on our Facebook page or scroll through some Instagram snaps from the two photographers below.

Nami Island, especially the Metasequoia path, was one of the main filming locations of the Korean Broadcasting System 2002 television drama series Winter Sonata, starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo. It attracted 270,000 Korean and foreign visitors in 2001. After it was featured in the drama, it attracted 650,000 visitors in 2002. Since then the number of visitors has continued to grow, reaching 2.3 million in 2012 and 3 million in 2014.
A photo posted by anjomiranda (@anjomiranda) on Apr 24, 2015 at 5:21am PDT

It’s not unusual to see a vast field of beautiful canola flowers all over Jeju Island. It’s a visual feast. ???? #VisitKorea #SamsungNX500 #NXTravellerKorea #NXTraveller #SamsungNX #JejuIsland A photo posted by anjomiranda (@anjomiranda) on Apr 18, 2015 at 7:36am PDT

Dwarfed by towers of swaying bamboo in the Juknokwon forest. #VisitKorea #SamsungNX1 #nxtraveller
A photo posted by Will Patino (@william_patino) on Apr 16, 2015 at 2:46pm PDT

I figured I would repost my favourite image from South Korea uncropped and let you know I’ve just updated my blog with my top 3 places to visit over there. Link in my bio @william_patino thanks guys 🙂 @samsungau #NX1 A photo posted by Will Patino (@william_patino) on May 2, 2015 at 2:24am PDT

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anjo miranda korea korean tourism organization sydney william patino