LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated Discover Your Korea, Los Angeles 2024, was hosted by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization Los Angeles office at the esteemed JW Marriott LA Live. The attendees were provided with an enriching journey into Korean culture and heritage. The event featured a diverse array of business meetings, seminars, and cultural activities, captivating the imaginations of over 160 participants from the Western US B2B Tourism Industry. Distinguished speakers from leading airlines and tourism organizations, such as Air Canada, Air Premia, Asiana Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Korean Air, Gyeongsanbuk-do Culture & Tourism Organization, and Busan Tourism Organization, delivered insightful presentations during the seminar and workshop in the afternoon. They highlighted the significance of regional tourism resources and presented the individual characteristics, strengths, and routes of each airline. Participants were treated to a diverse range of cultural experiences, including the opportunity to try traditional Korean attire Hanbok, explore the art of Korean calligraphy, and master the beauty of traditional Korean gift-wrapping, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the richness of Korean traditions.
The festivities continued into the evening with an extravagant dinner banquet which started with welcoming remarks by the executive director of international marketing of Korea Tourism Organization, Heejin Cho. She said, “We are so happy with the great turn out and the continued interest in Korea as one of top travel destinations. We appreciate the collaboration of all our partners and look forward to even more prominent and dynamic tourism activities this year.”
After an informative presentation by Korea Tourism Organization of LA, attendees enjoyed LA’s popular KPOP dance team, P&D Party & Dance’s performance. The highlight of the event was the keynote speech delivered by Chan Ho Park, the first South Korean Major League Baseball player, with a career spanning over 2 decades including an MLB All-Star appearance. Mr. Park shared inspiring anecdotes from his personal journey and career, emphasizing his profound love for his hometown, Gongju city in Korea, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.
The event’s success underscores the growing interest in Korean culture and tourism opportunities with the number of American visitors to Korea reaching a record high of 1.08 million in 2023, the highest since the compilation of Korean tourism statistics. According to Korea Tourism Organization Data Lab (www.visitkorea.or.kr), there were 124, 361 U.S. tourists visiting Korea between January and February 2024, an increase of over 30% compared to the same period last year.
For more information about the Korea Tourism Organization and upcoming events, please visit https://visitkorea.or.kr/
Media Contact
Dorothy Tian / adCREASIANs
[email protected] / 949.660.0121
SOURCE Korea Tourism Organization LA Office
