Jeju Island became popular with domestic tourists when they were unable to travel abroad during COVID-19. However, as overseas travel that they had not been able to go to has become possible and tourism costs in Jeju have risen significantly due to rising domestic prices, the number of domestic tourists who want to go abroad at similar costs is increasing. As the number of overseas tourists increases instead of the domestic tourists who have left, marketing activities in Jeju Island are being carried out to meet them.
As foreign tourists continue to visit Jeju after COVID-19, Jeju Island is stepping up various marketing activities to attract foreign tourists. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization said they are seeking to attract foreign tourists by promoting customized marketing for each country, including China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
First of all, it is focusing on fostering and developing special-purpose tourism products in cooperation with local travel industries and clubs in China, which is driving the overseas tourism market as the number of people increased by nearly 200,000 compared to the same period in 2019. In particular, it will promote a family tour for golf travel agencies and clubs to develop luxury golf products in China’s Huanam region, which has high economic power. In addition, tourism briefing sessions will be held for leisure clubs, tourism industries, general consumers, and sports clubs in western inland areas such as Chengdu, China, to promote experiential tourism products and promote guest activities. In particular, specialized tourism promotion events are being held focusing on MZ generation and individual tourists, which account for more than 80% of Chinese tourists visiting Jeju. In collaboration with popular Taiwanese YouTubers and large Taiwanese travel agencies, it will launch a “Travel along YouTubers” product in July under the theme of climbing Hallasan Mountain and trekking Olle Road. The product was also prepared in 2023, which is analyzed to have attracted a total of 1,753 tourists as a travel product. In addition, an individual Jeju tour briefing session for about 500 students from the Korean language department of Hwadong University in China, and an online competition for Jeju travel courses for college students’ vacations and graduation trips will be held. In addition, an experiential briefing session will be held for major target groups such as family travelers, office workers, and university students in the three northeastern provinces. A family tour to discover educational products that can experience Jeju history and culture will also be promoted from the 15th, and in July, it will launch a youth school trip tour package in collaboration with the local travel industry and the travel industry in the province.
In the case of the Japanese market, it is expected that the Japanese tourism market will recover early with the resumption of direct flights from Jeju to Tokyo after three years and four months. Previously, the demand for Jeju travel products was confirmed through a fam tour targeting major Tokyo travel agencies and Korean Wave fan clubs, and a welcome event is also being prepared for the return of the route. Marketing will also be conducted to expand the number of visitors, such as improving the passenger rate of tourists using direct flights to Osaka and planning diesel products.
In addition, tourism products such as golf and trekking products have been promoted at Hiroshima, Kitakyushu, and Kumamoto shopping malls since the 7th for the middle-aged and elderly people who are economically well off in Kyushu. In fact, Jeju tourism coverage is scheduled on “Fukuoka Broadcasting” to lead to a visit to Jeju, and extensive publicity will be conducted through Japanese broadcasting.
In order to diversify the Jeju tourism market, Jeju Island plans to expand the promotion of Jeju tourism, including major Southeast Asian countries, Mongolia, and Canada.
Byun Deok-seung, director of the Jeju Tourism Exchange Bureau, said, “We are making various efforts to promote Jeju’s charm as a tourist destination with various things to see and enjoy to reflect the demand for overseas tourists.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
