The Korea Tourism Organisation is launching the country’s new tourism brand in partnership with the WTM Buyers’ Club at World Travel Market – the leading global event for the travel industry.
Called ‘Imagine Your Korea’, the new brand and marketing campaign aims to show why the country is a unique destination, and will highlight attractions ranging from shopping to culture, and cuisine to pop music.
Through its deal to become headline sponsor of the WTM Buyers’ Club, the KTO wants to convey the campaign’s message that Korea is diverse, vibrant and ideal for leisure and business travellers.
WTM Buyers’ Club, the leading travel business network, is WTM’s business club for senior travel industry buyers with direct purchasing responsibility.
More than 8,500 members of the WTM Buyers’ Club attended WTM last year, agreeing deals worth £2.2 billion – and this is forecast to rise to an impressive £2.5 billion for WTM 2014.
This year, it will offer buyers the chance to attend two WTM Speed Networking sessions, as well as other benefits such as fast-track access and meeting rooms.
The official launch of ‘Imagine Your Korea’ will be in the Buyers’ Club Lounge, North Hall, on Tuesday 4 November.
Attending the event will be Changho Cha, Director of the KTO in London; Choo Suk Byun, Chief Executive of the KTO; and His Excellency Sungnam Li, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea.
The event is open to all Buyers’ Club members, and guests will be entertained by break dancers and K-Pop entertainers while sipping Korean cocktails and enjoying Korean canapés.
Guests will also be entered into a prize draw to win a holiday to Korea.
Mr Cha said: “The new ‘Imagine Your Korea’ campaign encourages travellers to engage with the latest trends in Korea, and indulge in our history and traditions.
“We have chosen the WTM Buyers’ Club to launch our exciting brand because it offers so many key networking opportunities for influential senior executives from around the globe.
“Nowhere else offers us such a chance for an exclusive event that reflects the high expectations we want to generate about Korea.”
The campaign will highlight five ‘K’s from Korean culture that appeal to travellers: K-Food, K-Wave, K-Spirit, K-Place and K-Style.
K-Wave includes trends such as pop, drama and celebrities, while K-Spirit covers the creativity and passion of Koreans.
K-Place refers to the country’s tourist sites and K-Style reflects the lifestyle and trends of Korea.
World Travel Market, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “We are delighted to welcome the Korea Tourism Organisation as headline sponsors of WTM Buyers’ Club.
“Korea is an exciting, dynamic destination, offering travellers some of the most fascinating heritage and culture alongside modern pop, unrivalled shopping and wonderful cuisine.
“Its ambitious new branding campaign is a great match for our WTM Buyers’ Club which brings buyers from around the world to conduct business and make lucrative contacts.”
The launch of ‘Imagine Your Korea’ will be from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday 4 November, in the Buyers’ Club Lounge, North Hall, Excel, stand Number: AS3300.
The event is open to all Buyers’ Club members.
