International travel to Korea sees record high in 2016

Canadian travel to Korea recorded a significant growth of 20.3 per cent in 2016, with 175,443 Canadians making the trip. International tourism to Korea, meanwhile, reached a new record of 17 million, exceeding the previous record of 14 million.

“I am pleased to see that Korea remains a hot tourism destination in 2016,” said John Hyungkwan Park, director of the Korea Tourism Organization’s Toronto office. New services by airlines are credited with playing a key role in bringing more Canadians to Korea. Air Canada began offering daily non-stop service between Toronto and Seoul beginning on June 17, 2016, while Korean Air has also provided daily none-stop flights between the two cities since the beginning of June 2016.

Park also predicted another banner year in 2017. “We certainly appreciate our industry partners for all their efforts in promoting Korea,” he said. “We will continue to work closely with all the partners and develop more new tourism spots and packages for the Canadian market.

The news came as the Korea Tourism Organization prepared for the first round of its Korea Grand Sale, which takes place from Jan. 20 to Feb. 28 throughout the country. The sale has been held every winter and offers discounts on shopping, accommodation, transportation, entertainment, beauty & health, food & beverage, and more. Participating ski resorts also offer special discount on service and rental fees.

More updates and information about Korea is available by visiting www.visitkorea.or.kr or following the Korea Tourism Board on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visitkorea. Further information about the Korea Grand Sale is available on http://www.koreagrandsale.co.kr.