The Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) announced on May 20 that the next administration, which will be launched through the presidential election on June 3, must recognize the travel industry as a key national strategic industry and provide comprehensive support.
KATA stated that despite the travel industry's significant contribution to the national economy, its role in earning foreign currency, and its wide-ranging ripple effects across the economy, it has been neglected so far. On this day, KATA delivered its proposals for the development of the travel industry to the presidential campaign teams of each party, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party, to be reflected in their policy pledges.
KATA diagnosed that the travel industry currently faces various challenges, including delays in digital transformation, threats from global online travel agencies (OTAs) backed by massive capital, an unfair travel market environment, the industry's sensitivity to external variables, and a structure vulnerable to unpredictable crises. Furthermore, KATA noted that most travel businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises, making it difficult for them to address these challenges on their own, and emphasized that the next administration's support is urgently needed for the development of the travel industry.
KATA proposed six urgent tasks for the next administration: ▲ reinstating the position of tourism secretary and appointing a vice-minister in charge of tourism, ▲ elevating the status of the National Tourism Strategy Meeting, ▲ strengthening the competitiveness of the travel industry by revising travel-related legislation, ▲ expanding support for the travel and tourism industry to the level of export and manufacturing industries, ▲ operating a tourism export support team to attract 30 million inbound tourists, and ▲ establishing a disaster compensation fund to support crisis management in the travel industry.
KATA Chairman Lee Jinseok stated, "With the global spread of K-culture and K-content, the potential to attract inbound tourists has increased significantly. We must strategically leverage this opportunity to further expand tourism exports, fully restore the travel industry ecosystem, revitalize the travel market, strengthen the competitiveness of the travel industry, and achieve the goal of attracting 30 million inbound tourists. It is essential for the entire nation to unite and work together." He added, "I sincerely urge the next administration to recognize the travel industry as a core national strategic industry and to provide a level of comprehensive support and active interest that is fundamentally different from what we have seen so far."
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