South Korea and China host inaugural tourism exchange in Andong

South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Association of Travel Agents, hosted the first official Korea-China Tourism Industry Exchange. The event aimed to diversify inbound tourism by promoting regional destinations beyond Seoul.

Following an initial meeting in Incheon, the program moved to Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where approximately 120 representatives from 100 major Chinese travel agencies and media outlets participated in a B2B travel mart and a promotional fam tour. Seven South Korean provincial governments—Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Jeonbuk, Chungbuk, and Chungnam—presented tourism content linked to regional international airports to encourage longer stays in local areas.

Minister Choi Hwi-young emphasized the importance of private-sector cooperation to reach a milestone of 10 million human exchanges between the two nations. The initiative seeks to build a sustainable tourism ecosystem by strengthening ties between domestic local governments and international travel industries.