- October 6 and 7, “K-Travel Festa in Saudi” targeting 20,000 Potential Hallyu fans was held

- On October 8, B2B events, “Korea Tourism Travel Mart” and “Korea Tourism Night,” held to expand the Middle Eastern inbound market

In collaboration with KCON, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) and the Korea Tourism Organization (CEO KIM Jang Sil, KTO) hosted the “K-Travel Festa in Saudi.” This event, targeting 20,000 potential Hallyu fans from the MZ generation, happened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 6 (Fri) and 7 (Sat) in anticipation of the “Visit Korea Year 2023–2024.” Notably, this event was held in conjunction with the Middle East’s largest paid K-pop concert, “KCON Saudi Arabia 2023,” organized by CJ ENM.

The six core Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman) represent a highly lucrative inbound market, with tourists spending an average of approximately USD 2,600 and staying for 10.7 days[1] based on 2019 data. Particularly, Saudi Arabia, which contributes to about 55% of the inbound market[2] from these six countries, has been actively intensifying tourism cooperation with Korea, establishing a Saudi tourism office in Korea in August 2021. The momentum for tourism exchanges between the two countries gained further traction following the resumption of the Incheon–Riyadh direct flight route in August 2022. In March 2023, a new direct route connecting Incheon to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s largest commercial city, was introduced. This development has significantly solidified the groundwork for enhanced tourism interactions between the two countries.

Promotion of Korean tourism at “KCON Saudi Arabia 2023” with Themes of Shopping, Beauty, and Fashion

MCST is actively marketing Korean tourism in the high-value inbound market of Saudi Arabia. Given that the primary audience of “KCON Saudi Arabia 2023” consists of K-pop fans in their teens to thirties, the event aimed to transform these affluent K-pop fans into potential tourists to Korea.

Together with brands such as “Innisfree” and “Nongshim,” MCST and KTO operated promotional and experiential booths focusing on themes such as “K-beauty,” “K-food,” and “K-Shopping” at “Mohammed Abdo Arena,” a multipurpose arena in Riyadh. The promotional and experiential booths offered Middle East–tailored content, such as sampling “Halal-certified sheet mask experiences” and distributing “Halal-certified ramyeon prizes.” Additionally, a promotional booth showcasing the “Visit Korea Year 2023–2024” was established, providing attendees with a glimpse of the 2023 overseas advertisement series “Challenge Korea,” featuring the renowned actor LEE Jung Jae.

 Business-to-Business Events, including “Korean Tourism Travel Mart” and “Korea Tourism Night,” to Bolster the Middle Eastern Inbound Market

Continuing with the focus on expanding the Middle Eastern inbound market, two noteworthy events, namely the “Korean Tourism Travel Mart” and “Korea Tourism Night,” took place at 4:00 p.m. on October 8 (Sun) at the JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh. At the “Korean Tourism Travel Mart,” 14 domestic companies, including major accommodation and shopping businesses such as “Hotel Lotte” and “Hyundai Department Store,” engaged in business consultations with about 70 local companies. Simultaneously, the “Korea Tourism Night” featured a presentation session on Korean tourism, focusing on themes such as “medical tourism, shopping, and tourism ventures,” fostering industry exchanges with over 250 attendees, including government officials from both countries, local media representatives, and influencers.

PARK Jong Taek, Director-General of the MCST Tourism Policy Bureau, stated, “The six core Middle Eastern countries have a market where the average spending per tourist is more than double the global average, indicating their high purchasing power.” He added, “Through this event, which gathers a high number of potential Hallyu fans with a high likelihood of visiting Korea, we aim to attract tourists from Saudi Arabia, the primary inbound market in the Middle East, actively and maximize the high-value inbound demand.”