Korea Tourism Organization Operates Customized 'Bleisure' Tourism Program Captivating 1,000 Foreigners

Providing Personalized Programs and Digital Tourism Concierge Services

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 10th that about 1,000 foreigners participated in the 'Bleisure Tourism Program' launched in conjunction with domestic exhibitions and fairs held this year.

A participant of the Bleisure tourism program is touring Seoul Hiker Ground.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

Bleisure is a portmanteau of Business and Leisure, referring to travel that combines leisure activities during business trips or travel enjoyed in connection with business schedules. It has been expanding recently along with trends such as remote work and workations.

The Tourism Organization provided customized tourism programs for participants of 14 exhibitions and fairs, including the Seoul International Sourcing Fair held at COEX from the 4th to the 6th, allowing them to enjoy travel in Korea alongside their business trips.

Exhibition participants could apply for desired tourism programs through an online platform and receive mobile coupons to enjoy the activities according to their personal schedules. Reflecting the increasingly personalized and segmented preferences of travelers, the organization prepared diverse tourism programs including customized programs related to fashion, architecture, and other themes matching each exhibition, as well as K-culture experiences such as food, history, and the Korean Wave.

Bleisure tourism program participants pose for a commemorative photo in front of Cheongwadae Sarangchae.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

Additionally, tourism programs were arranged from tourist spots near the exhibition venues to nearby regional attractions and nighttime tourism programs, allowing participants to choose according to their personal circumstances without being restricted by schedules.

Furthermore, a digital tourism concierge service was introduced to ensure no restrictions on the travel activities of exhibition participants by operating real-time consultation services. Multilingual professional consultants provided tourism guidance services via messengers such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Line, and convenience for tourists was enhanced by linking AI translation services and the Korea Tourism Integrated Platform 'VisitKorea' content along with the tourism information hotline 1330.

Jung Chang-wook, head of the MICE division at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "The satisfaction score for the Bleisure Tourism Program, which started operating this year, is an average of 94.4 points, showing a positive response," and added, "We will continue to develop new content including storytelling-based walking tours to extend the stay duration of foreign tourists participating in exhibitions and international conferences and encourage repeat visits."