The event introduced the attractiveness of Seoul's outstanding tourism infrastructure. This promotion program is also a bridge to explore cooperation opportunities, new tours, new tourism product packages, and expand the market among leading travel agencies in Seoul and Vietnam through B2B Travel Mart program. There were 11 Korean companies in four different industry participated in this travel networking program, including: travel (D.J.C Korea, Woori Club Tourism, Jack World), hotel (Lotte Hotel and Resort, Ninetree, Sofitel Ambassador Hotel), entertainment services (Naturelabs, Modern han, 7luck Casino), and transportation (Premium Pass International).

Head coach of the Vietnamese men’s football team Park Hang-seo debuted as the Global Tourism Ambassador of Seoul City

According to the survey results on the RoK’s tourism potential in 2021, Southeast Asia is considered as one of the leading important markets in the world when possessing the highest percentage of people wishing to travel to the RoK. Specifically, in the five-year period before the COVID-19 pandemic (2015-2019), the profit from tourism of the Southeast Asian market reached a growth rate of about 60 percent. Vietnam is the 7th largest market among the countries having highest number of tourists to the RoK with an average of about 550,000 arrivals per year. In particular, the rate of group travel is high. Vietnamese tourists have great interest in Korean beauty products and services, fashion, and Hallyu culture. Therefore, Vietnam is gradually taking an important position and is considered a strategic market in promotional campaigns about Seoul tourism.

The B2B Travel Mart program has connected the RoK’s 11 companies with the travel agencies of Ho Chi Minh City

Oh Se Hoon, Mayor of Seoul City, has shown great support for the exchange and connection activities between Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul City. He hopes that tourism cooperation between the two cities will develop and expand in the most dynamic direction.

Lee Hye Jin, Head of Global Marketing Department of Seoul Tourism Organization, said: "We have been trying our best to quickly restore channels of cooperation and distribution of tourism products between the RoK and Vietnam.”

Head coach of the Vietnamese men’s football team Park Hang-seo was also officially appointed as the Global Tourism Ambassador of Seoul City at the event. This is considered to contribute to a closer connection in tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries.

PV