The Korea Tourism and Cultural Day in Hanoi in 2017. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
The event will be held by the Korea Tourism Organization to mark the 30th anniversary of South Korea - ASEAN cooperation and follows on from the success of a similar event held for the first time in Hanoi in 2017, contributing to cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.
Some 30 leading Vietnamese and South Korean enterprises will participate, such as Vietravel, Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, Transviet, TST Tourist, Lotte PND, Naver, K-Tour, and K-Culture, introducing destinations and tourism products in South Korea at exhibition pavilions and offering good deals and promotion to visitors.
Heads of South Korean tourism offices in six Southeast Asian countries will discuss tourism source markets in the region at a conference held within the event.
Another highlight will be the promotion of the Hallyu Korean cultural wave, with activities such as trying on traditional Korean costumes, making decorative items, quizzes, and music and arts performances in which famous Vietnamese and South Korean artists will take part, like Noo Phuoc Thinh, Gfriend, and Snuper.
The number of visitors between Vietnam and South Korea has increased over recent years. In 2018, the two tourism industries catered more than 3.9 million visitors, including 3.5 million South Koreans visiting Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This represents a four-fold increase compared to five years ago and a 44.3 per cent rise year-on-year. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese tourists to South Korea is also increasing at the highest rate in Southeast Asia, with over 460,000 visitors in 2018, up over 30 per cent against 2017. It was about 409,000 in the first nine months of this year, up 25 per cent year-on-year.