The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on May 20 that they held the first-ever "2025 Korea Health & Beauty Festa" in Kuwait, Middle East, from May 15 to 17.
This event, organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait, was designed to showcase the excellence of Korean healthcare and the appeal of beauty tourism in the Middle Eastern market, with a focus on medical themes.
Kuwait, one of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and a leading oil-producing nation, represents a high-value tourism market characterized by strong demand for overseas travel among the wealthy and a tendency for long-term stays. Last year, the number of Kuwaiti visitors to Korea increased by more than 27% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Among these visitors, medical tourists mainly sought treatment in dermatology, integrative Korean medicine, and plastic surgery, focusing on minor medical procedures. Through this Festa, the Korea Tourism Organization presented a variety of K-culture programs, including not only medical tourism but also K-beauty and traditional performances.
On the first day of the event, a B2B consultation session was held at the Jumeirah Hotel, attended by over 100 participants, including representatives from the medical tourism industries and government officials from both countries. One-on-one medical tourism business consultations were conducted. The Korea Tourism Organization hosted presentations on Korean medical and beauty tourism, introducing a range of content such as customized medical tourism programs. Notably, Nora Alyaish, a popular travel influencer from a highly respected family in the Middle East, vividly shared her experiences with Korean medical tourism and travel in Korea, which she had enjoyed last year at the organization's invitation.
On May 16 and 17, a Korea tourism promotion event was held at The Avenues, the second-largest shopping mall in the Middle East, attracting a weekend crowd of 400,000 people. The Korea Tourism Organization, together with 15 leading domestic hospitals and medical tourism agencies, provided customized medical tourism consultations. At the experience booths, a variety of K-beauty programs were offered, including personal color consultations by Korean experts, AI-based skin care, and nail art.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, a total of 2,481 on-site consultations were conducted during this Health & Beauty Festa, resulting in 189 contracts and business agreements, with expected sales amounting to approximately 3 billion KRW.
Lee Youngkeun, Director of International Tourism Marketing Support at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, "The per capita spending of Middle Eastern visitors to Korea is $3,637, which is more than 70% higher than the average for all visitors, making it a representative high-value potential market." He added, "This Kuwait Health & Beauty Festa, the first of its kind amid the recent trend of increased social activity among women in the Middle East, is expected to serve as a catalyst for expanding the paradigm of medical tourism from a focus on severe illnesses to include minor treatments such as women's skin care."
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