Give the gift of travel at the ‘2023 Korea Tourism Souvenir Expo’ < National News < Text of Article

[경기북부탑뉴스 우서연 기자] The ‘2023 Korea Tourism Souvenirs Expo’, the only tourist souvenir fair in Korea, is coming to an end.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, will hold the ‘Korea Tourism Souvenirs Fair’ at Dongdaemun Design Plaza Art Hall Hall 1 for two days on November 24th and 25th to support the distribution and sales channels of attractive tourist souvenirs across the country.

At the expo, which marks its second anniversary this year, more than 100 companies from all regions and fields across the country participate to promote and sell souvenirs as well as interact with visitors.

Starting with contest winners such as the ‘Rice Flower Fresh Makgeolli Kit’, the grand prize winner of the ‘2023 Tourism Souvenir Contest’, you can find souvenirs from various fields such as processed foods, crafts, household and stationery, and beauty supplies all in one place.

In addition, the Busan Tourism Organization promotional center presents souvenirs using Busan’s representative symbols such as seagulls and camellias, the ‘Joseon Paldo Must Buy Items’ exhibition hall filled with regional characteristics, and K- Special halls such as food, food tourism and souvenir exhibition halls were also created.

In particular, this year, in order to expand the base of the fair and expand overseas exchanges in the field of tourism souvenirs, special exhibitions and events with the participation of the Japan and Thailand Tourism Boards were also prepared.

At the expo, consulting sessions between companies are also held to support industry sales channels and promote collaboration.

With the participation of over 40 organizations with various distribution channels and purchasing power, such as the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation and the National Museum and Cultural Foundation, as well as large distribution companies such as Lotte On and MUJI, product entry will be promoted through 1:1 business consultation.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism supported the commercialization of ideas for 30 winners of this year’s contest, including the ‘Rice Flower Fresh Makgeolli Kit’, supported business growth through crowdfunding, promoted cooperation with distributors, and developed distribution channels to strengthen the competitiveness of tourism products, such as operating a flash store for the winning products. There is a bar.

A rich opening event awaits visitors on November 24th.

First, the ‘2023 Korea Tourism Contest Awards Ceremony’ will be held, followed by a talk show where ‘Enjoy Couple’, a popular YouTube creator and broadcaster with 2.39 million subscribers, will discuss travel and souvenirs with visitors.

A variety of events targeting the young generation were also prepared on the 24th and 25th.

We operate a food and beverage center such as ‘Yak and Ice Cream Sand’ and ‘Dried Persimmon Latte’, which are famous for the ‘Grandma trend’ by captivating visitors of various ages along with the younger generation with tastes and sensibilities that stimulate nostalgia for childhood.

Hanbok experience center where you can try on the hanbok worn by K-pop stars, Christmas photo studio using the ‘Nungnyi’ character selected in the top 10 in the ‘Korean National Team Selection’, meditation therapy with the ‘Korean Singing Bowl’ winner of the souvenir contest, and sustainable tourism. We plan to make the expo even more fun through souvenir-themed K-beauty experiences such as vegan cosmetics and waste plastic upcycling experiences.

Park Jong-taek, Director of Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “It was impressive to see foreign members jumping with joy after receiving BTS souvenirs at the last K-Pop Jamboree concert.

In this way, since tourist souvenirs are a medium that helps people remember the culture and special experiences of the travel region, we hope that this expo will spread the charm of souvenirs and promote active exchange between industries.” “We will spare no effort in providing policy support to help the tourism industry grow as a part of the tourism industry, including discovering products linked to K-culture, developing various distribution channels, and supporting overseas expansion.”