South Korea is out to promote tourism from India to the East Asian country in a big way as the two countries commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them.

The Seoul-based Korean Tourism Department (KTD) is organising a massive roadshow in New Delhi in late August to woo Indian tourists. The roadshows were also proposed in other major cities in India.

According to KTD Executive Director Lee Younggeun, Korean pop, food and beauty products will be promoted in different parts of the Indian capital to attract Indian tourists and familiarise them with tourist destinations in South Korea.

”There are a number of places for Indian tourists in South Korea. At many of these places, Indian food is also available apart from Korean, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and other inter-continental foods which are popular with the Indians,” he said.

Lee said tourism from India to his country had been increasing by leaps and bounds until 2018 but has declined due to Covid-19 and various other factors. The number of Indian tourists visiting Korea peaked at 195000 in 2016.

Noting that most Indians preferred European destinations over East Asian countries for tourism, the Korean official expressed confidence that the number of Indian travellers will see a huge increase in the coming years, thanks to an increase in the number of flights and the general awareness about the countries in the region.

He said efforts were also being made to promote South Korea as a prime destination among Bollywood film directors and producers to shoot films in this country. ”We can offer a number of incentives to the Indian film industry if they were to shoot films in our country. We have given certain suggestions in this regard,” he said, without further elaborating.

He said the non-availability of seats and flights between India and South Korea used to be a big problem earlier but these issues were also now being handled on a priority basis by the two countries.

South Korean tourism officials plan to focus on the segments of luxury travel and special interest groups like K-pop and K-Drama fans and students visiting Korea for educational tours.

As part of the ongoing marketing plans for 2023, South Korea is providing travel agents with prizes of $30 per passenger and support for simple and hassle-free tour visas for visitors to the country between June and December 2023.

The main benefits of the incentive scheme include providing a special K-incentive Scheme to boost sales of Korean travel packages in the market.

In addition to Seoul, regional tourist destinations like Busan, Gangwon and Jellonam-do provinces are also being promoted amongst Indian travellers. The East Asian nation is also offering a variety of sightseeing and entertainment options. Korean officials say their country has something for all kinds of travellers, including honeymooners and those planning a family trip. Tourism in South Korea is also in a big way about shopping and food.