'100 Harvard Students Coming to Korea'... "Gen Z Educational Trips Rapidly Rising in Korea"

Korea Tourism Organization Strengthens Attraction of 'Runcation'
Attracting American and European Runcation (Education + Travel) Tourists
1,500 Visitors from Yale University, Central Washington University, and Others Expected to Visit Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are working to attract "run-cation" (education + travel) tourists from the United States and Europe.

Students from Democracy Prep School in the United States, visiting Korea on a school trip, are wearing hanbok and taking photos at Gyeongbokgung Palace.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

On the 6th, the Korea Tourism Organization announced that about 100 students from the Harvard University Radcliffe Orchestra club will visit Korea from the 9th to the 18th.

To respond to the demand for run-cations from the Americas, the Korea Tourism Organization is discovering and developing content by type, including cultural learning, self-development, social contribution, and student exchange. In particular, through its Americas branch, it is collaborating with education-specialized travel agencies to develop and promote products, and is also conducting "roadshows" targeting major universities on the East and West coasts of the U.S.

The Korea Tourism Organization is focusing on the fact that visiting student groups stay longer and spend more than general tourists, and is expanding the scope from middle and high school study tour groups to gap year students and university students to actively attract them.

Results of these efforts are also emerging. In February, two middle schools, including South Bronx Academy in New York, visited Korea, and from the 9th to the 18th, the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra is scheduled to visit Korea. Major universities and middle and high school student groups in the Americas, such as Yale University and Central Washington University, will also visit Korea. About 1,500 people are expected to visit by July.

The Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra, founded in 1808, is the oldest classical music club in North America. Approximately 120 Harvard undergraduate students from various majors participate in the orchestra.

After arriving at Incheon Airport on the 9th, they will visit major tourist sites in Seoul such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Ikseon-dong, experience temple food at Jingwansa Temple, then move to Jeonju to experience making bibimbap and other aspects of Korean culture. On the 12th, they will perform a joint concert with Ewha Womans University’s orchestra club, "Esayos."

Baek Ji-hye, head of the Americas team at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "Recently, Korea is rapidly emerging as a destination for educational travel for Generation Z student groups from long-distance markets such as the U.S. and Europe," adding, "This year, in collaboration with the International Student Identity Card Association, we plan to actively attract Generation Z visitors from the Americas by conducting a campaign to issue student cards (also usable as transportation cards) commemorating the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year.'"