Officials from tourism research institutions and industries in South Korea and China gathered to discuss policies and cooperation strategies to respond to changes in the tourism industry. Key topics included tourism services utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology, regional consumption by foreign tourists, and shopping and industrial tourism.
The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute announced that it held the 13th Korea-China Tourism Cooperation Seminar in Beijing on November 12.
The seminar, themed "Innovation in the Tourism Industry and Policy Support," featured researchers from national tourism research institutions in both countries, as well as representatives from Chinese companies such as DiDi and Yili Group.
South Korean researchers presented findings focusing on the impact of changes in the tourism industry and foreign tourist spending on local economies. Song Soo-yeop, a deputy researcher at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, discussed trends in the new tourism industry and policy responses, while Kang Ji-soo, another deputy researcher, analyzed the effects of spending by foreign tourists in local areas.
Chinese researchers addressed topics such as the development of inland water tourism and the impact of foreign tourists' shopping consumption on local economies. Cui Xin from the China Tourism Academy presented policies for fostering inland water tourism, while Ma Xiao-feng discussed the spatial ripple effects of inbound shopping consumption and the structure of consumption transitions.
Examples of tourism business initiatives were also shared. The Chinese mobility company DiDi presented cases of Korea-China tourism exchanges utilizing digital transportation services, while the dairy company Yili Group shared its experiences in industrial tourism operations.
Following the presentations, representatives from Shilla Duty Free and Jeju Air participated in discussions about current issues in the tourism industries of both countries and potential avenues for cooperation.
Hwang Kyo-ik, director of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, stated, "Both institutions share the common task of responding to changing tourism demands between Korea and China, supporting the growth of a converged tourism industry, and expanding tourist consumption through policy research. We will continue our collaborative research to enhance tourism exchanges and policy development, as we have done for the past 13 sessions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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