Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Open the 5th Performance Tourism Festival 'Welcome Daehangno' on the 27th

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 23rd that the ‘2021 Welcome Daehangno’ festival will be held from the 27th to October 29.

‘Welcome Daehangno’ is Korea’s representative performing arts tourism festival that introduces excellent performing arts tourism works in Daehangno and the area itself to domestic and international tourists. This year, Park So-dam, an actress loved worldwide for the movie ‘Parasite,’ will serve as the honorary ambassador for performing arts tourism to actively promote the charm of Korean performing arts tourism.

Following last year, most events will be broadcast online to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Various methods using both online and offline platforms will be used to communicate with domestic and international audiences and performing arts tourism stakeholders.

At the opening ceremony on the 27th, non-verbal performances such as ‘Nanta’ and ‘The Painters,’ which are representative performing arts tourism works, will be live-streamed online against the backdrop of Daehangno tourist attractions like Marronnier Park and Ihwa Mural Village. Additionally, various performing arts tourism works that were difficult to experience after COVID-19 will visit audiences on deep autumn evenings.

Through ‘Welcome Theater,’ the representative program of ‘Welcome Daehangno,’ you can also directly experience excellent domestic performing arts tourism works. Nine works, including musicals ‘Pirates,’ ‘The Little Prince,’ ‘The Last Man,’ the play ‘Almost, Maine,’ and the Korean traditional music play ‘Hwalgeuk Simcheong,’ will be sequentially staged until November 14 at the 1st and 2nd halls of the Seokyeong University Performing Arts Center in Daehangno.

Furthermore, unique events promoting ‘Welcome Daehangno,’ such as an online fan meeting with performing arts tourism Hallyu stars (October 18) and music concerts featuring musical and play works (October 13), will be held both online and offline. Detailed information on performance schedules, online broadcast times, and reservation methods can be found on the official ‘Welcome Daehangno’ website.

Various special events to proactively attract foreign visitors after the stabilization of COVID-19 will also continue. Online participation events for watching performances will be held targeting overseas audiences interested in Hallyu from China, Japan, Taiwan, and other countries. Additionally, foreign correspondents residing in Korea will participate to promote ‘Welcome Daehangno’ and produce and broadcast special programs capturing the charm of Korean performing arts tourism.

All events of ‘2021 Welcome Daehangno’ will be conducted in strict compliance with quarantine guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Event officials plan to thoroughly manage quarantine by designating quarantine managers for each venue, preparing entry logs and symptom checklists, and distributing personal quarantine supplies. Audiences are expected to create a safe performance viewing culture by leaving one seat empty between attendees, checking symptoms and filling out entry logs upon entering the venue, prohibiting food consumption inside the venue, and wearing masks inside the performance hall.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee said, “I hope this festival will be a meaningful gift to domestic and international audiences who have missed immersive performances, meetings with people, and travel,” and added, “It is hoped that the performing arts tourism industry, which has been contracted due to COVID-19, will communicate with domestic and international audiences through various performing arts tourism works and effectively promote Korean performing arts and tourism products to overseas audiences and tourism industry stakeholders, leading to tangible results in attracting foreign visitors in the future.”