The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is hosting the K-Travel Festa Saudi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 6-7. The festival aims to showcase various aspects of Korean culture, such as beauty, food, and shopping, to about 20,000 youth in the Middle East. The event is being organized in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization as part of Visit Korea Year 2023-24.
The festival is being held in conjunction with KCON Saudi Arabia, the largest K-pop concert in the Middle East, which will take place at the Mohammed Abdu Arena. The ministry hopes to attract K-pop fans with purchasing power to visit Korea by connecting the festival to KCON. The main audience of KCON ranges from teenagers to people in their 30s.
At the festival venue, several Korean companies, including Nongshim and Innisfree, will set up promotional booths and join a marketing pavilion for Visit Korea Year 2023-24. Customized interactive programs will be available, including samples of halal-certified facial masks and giveaways of halal-certified ramyeon (instant noodles).
Furthermore, on October 8, at JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh, Korean companies will offer consultations to Saudi counterparts at the event called “Korean Travel Mart.” Additionally, a “Korean Tourism Night” will be held, where around 250 people, including government officials from both countries, journalists, and influencers are expected to attend. The theme of the night will be “Medical, Shopping, and Tourism Ventures.”
Park Jong-taek, head of a ministry task force on tourism and export strategy, expressed that this event is an opportunity to actively attract tourists from Saudi Arabia, which is the top Middle Eastern market for visitors to Korea. The objective is to maximize the high-value demand for visiting Korea by targeting individuals with a strong interest in Hallyu and the likelihood to visit the country.
Overall, the K-Travel Festa Saudi in Riyadh aims to promote Korean culture, beauty, food, and shopping to the Middle Eastern audience, particularly Saudi Arabian youth. By connecting the festival to KCON Saudi Arabia and offering customized interactive programs and consultations, the ministry hopes to increase tourism from Saudi Arabia and maximize the demand for visiting Korea.