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ABU DHABI / GULF TIME
Together with the People, Korea leaps forward once again with K-Culture and tourism enterprises – Focused on the UAE tourism market with a K-Tourism Road Show in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will hold the K-Travel Week (May 1-6) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE, with a large-scale public-private partnership team to achieve rapid results following the government’s normal diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates in January 2023.
The event will begin with the Middle East’s largest tourism exhibition, the Arabian Travel Market (May 1-4), followed by the Korea-UAE Tourism Enterprise Cooperation Forum jointly hosted by KTO and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, K-Tourism Startup IR (Investor Relations) seminar, MOUs and a K-Tourism Roadshow introducing the diverse K-Culture to the middle east.
In particular, the Korea-UAE Tourism Enterprise Cooperation Forum and K-Tourism Startup IR, the first of their kind to be launched in the Middle East to provide full support for the globalization of domestic tourism enterprises, will have the participation of 18 domestic startups and 10 local investment firms, including the UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, to boost the Middle East expansion of Korean tech-based tourism startups. Furthermore, following the UAE economic envoy team’s participation in January, an MoU signing ceremony for the first export of digital tourism services to the Middle East, between Yanolja and the UAE’s leading travel company, Al Rais Travel, and a vision presentation is also planned, making it a meaningful first step towards the globalization of domestic tourism enterprises.
The Middle Eastern market, including the UAE, is classified as a high-value market in terms of per capita spending and consumption standards, with the longest average length of stay for medical tourists at 28.5 days (average of 9.9 days) and a high percentage of long-term hospitalization and family stays, making it an important market for diversifying the influx of tourists. In particular, the UAE is leading the digital transformation of its tourism industry, making it a promising market for Korean tourism enterprises to enter.
- Expenses during stay in Korea (as of 2019): UAE $1,695.5 / Overall average $1,239.2
- Length of stay in Korea (as of 2019): UAE 10.5 days / Overall average 6.7 days
- Accompanying type for medical tourism (Middle East standard): Family (spouse, children, siblings) 52.9%
KTO will promote Korean tourism products targeting major buyers from GCC countries through the Korean Pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market (May 1-4), showcasing K-culture, medical tourism, and wellness tourism. They will also host “Korean Tourism Night” (May 4), inviting around 100 local industry personnel and media to promote exchange through Korean culture.
Next, the “K-Tourism Roadshow” will take place at Dubai Festival City Mall on May 5-6, where visitors can experience various aspects of K-culture, including Korean cuisine and traditional clothing, as well as beauty and unique jjimjilbang (Korean sauna) experiences. Families can also enjoy various activities such as Korean movie screenings. In particular, K-pop group “MCND” invited from Korea, “Seodo Band” featuring a collaboration of traditional and popular music, and a random play dance event by famous YouTuber “Toegyeong-a Yakmeokja” will be presented.
According to Lee Jaewhan, Senior VP of Korea Tourism, “Through the first Korean tourism startup IR event in the Middle East, we have established a foundation for the tourism industry to lead the second Middle East boom by leading the export of tourism services contracts and attracting investment from national funds in the Middle East. Recently, there has been a high level of local interest in Korea due to the influence of K-pop and dramas. During this K-Travel Week, a large-scale public-private cooperation group composed of local governments, inbound travel agencies, medical institutions, tourism, and content startups will be active, which I am confident will be an opportunity to make Korea a presence in the hearts of people in the region. Through pushing overseas promotion, the consulate is striving to achieve 10 million foreign visitors this year and is doing its best to contribute to domestic activation.”
For more information about these events, please visit the Korea Tourism Organization website or contact Korea Tourism Organization Dubai Office Phone: +971-4-331-2288 Email: knto@eim.ae Website: https://arabic.visitkorea.or.kr/