The government is launching Korea Welcome Week, from Thursday to Nov. 9 at major entry points to capitalize on the expected surge in visitors ahead of the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday.
Co-hosted by the ministry and the Visit Korea Committee, Korea Welcome Week is designed to welcome and assist overseas tourists. The event features welcome booths at key transportation hubs — including Incheon International Airport, Gyeongju Station, Gimhae International Airport and Busan Port — offering various benefits and conveniences related to shopping and transportation.
Korea Welcome Week is scheduled to coincide with the 2025 APEC event, which will take place in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The tourism ministry expects the APEC event to act as a springboard for both qualitative and quantitative growth in the inbound tourism sector.
“As the inbound tourism market is rapidly revitalizing, we will continue to use the welcome week and similar initiatives to ensure foreign visitors can travel more safely, enjoyably and comfortably,” Kim Dae-hyun, vice tourism minister, said.
“Particularly, the 2025 APEC meeting is a valuable opportunity to widely promote the appeal of Korean culture and tourism. We will precisely review the readiness of the host city for foreign visitors and key tourist hubs.”
The ministry has prepared welcome kits that include a Welcome Card designed to introduce overseas visitors to the essence of Korean tourism and culture.
A QR code on the card links to a Korean culture introduction page, which features content such as an overview of Korean art history presented by You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, Hangeul (the Korean alphabet), hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) and must-visit sites in Gyeongju.
The ministry noted that the number of foreign tourists reached 16.37 million last year, recovering to 93.5 percent of the prepandemic 2019 level, and anticipates a further increase this year.
To commemorate the APEC event, the Korea Tourism Organization will also operate a pop-up store showcasing winning entries from the Korea Tourism Souvenir Contest at Gyeongju Station from Saturday to Nov. 2.
The pop-up store will feature 18 representative souvenirs, including the Joseon royal family-themed wine stopper, which won the Presidential Award.
Merchandise inspired by the gat (traditional Korean hat made from horsehair), which has recently gained attention thanks to the popularity of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” will also be available for purchase.
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