South Korea leans on pop culture to hike tourist arrival

South Korean music has come of age. In the winter of 2012/13, the South Korean pop star Psy capyured the imagination of the world and saw his Gangnam Style video reach a billion viewers on YouTube, a performance that wasn’t lost on the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). For quite some time the KTO has been putting its shoulder to the mouse pad in trying to tap into the power of social media by courting celebrities with a strong online following along with a new campaign, “Tour Imagination,” that is centered around a drawing that will have its winners create online content.

After decades of promoting an austere branding of the country as the “Land of the Morning Calm,” the KTO changed direction under its last director, Charm Lee, who thought that all that calm was not what people were seeking on vacation. Since his 2013 resignation, the KTO has continued to try for a more exciting tourism proposition that ignites the imagination of the visitor. 

Since 2000, the country’s tourist arrival figures have grown from five million to 12 million last year and the KTO has set a target of 20 million over the next few years. That number might not be as ambitious as it sounds thanks to the popularity of Korean pop culture in its neighboring countries, which also happen to be among the most powerful markets for tourism in the world today. Korean pop music is very popular in China and Japan.

Tour Imagination includes a random drawing of eight winners who will each receive a four-day vacation for two to Korea this October and November. The winners of the drawing will be asked to record videos of their journeys, and share them online. Participants must enter for the chance to visit Korea by Aug. 31 at www.tourimagination.com.

The KTO has been involved in inviting online celebrities from important markets such as Thailand, Japan, China and the U.S to visit Korea and experience the country’s latest styles, drama, and beauty treatments. The idea is to attract people who by their celebrity status attract media. One such online celebrity, Michelle Phan, is described by Google as “an American make-up demonstrator and entrepreneur who became notable as a YouTube celebrity. Phan’s YouTube channel has over six million subscribers and she has uploaded over 300 videos.”

The KTO also unveiled new brand slogan, “Imagine Your Korea,” which will have Korean pop star BIGBANG serve as its honorary ambassador and for the To:ur Imagination campaign. BIGBANG is also the star of a global TV ad for KTO.

In April, the Korean government installed a new temporary tax refund policy on hotel stays that will be in effect for a full year. Only international visitors who stay in a certified hotel for a total of more than two nights are entitled to the refunds.

In order to receive the tax refund, eligible recipients should leave Korea within three months from their check-out date and must present a Hotel Tax Refund Form, which they can receive from their hotel, at a designated Duty-Free Zone.