Korea Tourism Organization Launches Campaign to Attract Japanese Tourists with '30 Scenic Spots of Korea' Theme

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 6th that it will promote attracting Japanese tourists under the theme of '30 Scenic Spots in Korea.'

The Tourism Organization stated that it selected the 30 scenic spots in Korea last February in collaboration with the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) to attract Japanese interest with unique local content and to revitalize domestic regional travel. After forming a pool of candidates from award-winning works in the Korea Tourism Contest (photo category), experts on Korean products from 14 travel agencies affiliated with JATA made the final selection considering factors such as accessibility to the area, connectivity with nearby tourist attractions, and representative local cuisine.

Spring in Andong Hahoe Village [Photo provided by Korea Tourism Organization]

The 30 scenic spots include not only popular places such as ▲Seoraksan (Yangyang, Gangwon-do), ▲Hahoe Village (Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do), and ▲Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (Gijang, Busan), but also many locations still unfamiliar to Japanese tourists, such as ▲Saebyeol Oreum (Jeju), ▲Suncheonman National Garden and Wetlands (Suncheon, Jeollanam-do), and ▲Maisan (Jinan, Jeollabuk-do). Locations in Seoul were excluded from the selected 30 scenic spots to encourage Japanese tourists to visit other regions.

The Tourism Organization will hold seminars for planning and promoting travel products featuring the 30 scenic spots, touring Tokyo on the 11th, Osaka on the 13th, and Fukuoka on the 14th. Additionally, an inspection tour will be conducted for key Japanese media and travel agency staff, with itineraries including Gyeongju Daereungwon and Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. At the end of the year, a travel product contest for the 30 scenic spots will be held jointly with JATA, with awards given to excellent products, encouraging the launch of travel products through various incentive policies.

Kim Kwan-mi, head of the Japan Regional Center at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "More than 80% of Japanese tourists who visited Korea in 2023 enjoyed travel in Seoul and the metropolitan area." She added, "The Tourism Organization will discover local representative content such as gourmet food and scenery to brand regional tourism and implement various projects to alleviate the concentration of tourists in the metropolitan area."