40 Years of Korea-Japan Tourism Cooperation: Discussions in Mokpo on Regional Tourism and Attracting Tourists from Third Countries

40th Korea-Japan Tourism Promotion Council to Be Held on September 9-10 with Over 100 Government and Industry Representatives Attending
Signing of Joint Statement on Promoting Memorandum of Cooperation in Tourism Sector Planned
Seeking Opportunities for Joint Tourism Product Development

To mark the 40th anniversary of tourism cooperation between Korea and Japan, both countries are discussing ways to expand tourist exchanges to regional areas and to jointly attract tourists from third countries.

Promotional materials for the "40th Korea-Japan Tourism Promotion Council" and the "Korea-Japan Tourism Business Forum" held on the 9th and 10th in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tourism Agency. Government officials and tourism industry representatives from both countries discuss measures to revitalize local tourism and jointly attract tourists from third countries. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on September 9 that, together with the Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, it will host the "40th Korea-Japan Tourism Promotion Council" and the "Korea-Japan Tourism Business Forum" at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, from September 9 to 10.

The Korea-Japan Tourism Promotion Council, launched in 1986 to promote tourism exchange and friendship between the two countries, has been held alternately every year in Korea and Japan, except in 2020 when it was postponed once due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s council will be attended by approximately 100 participants, including Kang Jungwon, policy chief of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ken Sasaji, Director of the International Tourism Department at the Japan Tourism Agency, central and local government officials from both countries, related organizations, and representatives from the tourism and airline industries. Under the theme "Continued Expansion of Korea-Japan Tourism Exchange and Strengthening Cooperation to Attract Tourists from Outside the Region," they will discuss future directions for cooperation.

The Korean government will present policies focused on revitalizing inbound tourism and expanding tourism cooperation with Japan, while the Japanese government will introduce policies to promote overseas travel for Japanese citizens and attracting tourists to regional destinations. Mokpo City, Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), and the travel industry associations of both countries will also propose ways to further expand tourism exchange.

The chief delegates of both countries are expected to sign a joint statement expressing their commitment to promoting a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in the tourism sector to establish a stable and sustainable institutional foundation for tourism cooperation.

At the Korea-Japan Tourism Business Forum on September 10, participants will discuss ways to work together to attract tourists from third countries, revitalize regional tourism, and expand two-way tourism between Korea and Japan. Travel agencies, airlines, and academic experts from both countries will share tourism trends and seek collaborative opportunities such as developing joint tourism products that link various regions.

On the Korean side, presentations will be made by Lee Junghwan, Team Leader at Lotte JTB; Professor Kwon Jangwook of Dongseo University’s Department of Tourism Management and Convention; and Park Jeongsu, Head of Division at Trinity Airlines. On the Japanese side, participants include Shinji Nishio, Head of Business Headquarters at Zipair; Atsushi Yamanobe, Executive Director at H.I.S.; and Kanako Morito, Senior Researcher at Jalan Research Center.

After the event, participants will explore Mokpo’s maritime exchanges and modern heritage sites. They are scheduled to visit Gongsaengwon, which preserves the history of Korea-Japan civil exchange, the Modern History and Culture District, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage’s Marine Artifact Exhibition Hall, and the reconstructed Joseon Tongsinsa ship, to explore possibilities for tourism exchange utilizing the region’s historical and cultural resources.

Kang Jungwon, policy chief of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “Korea and Japan are each other’s most visited neighbors and partners in attracting tourists from third countries. Building on the trust between Korea and Japan’s tourism authorities accumulated over the past 40 years, we plan to expand tourism exchange into local and regional areas and develop sustainable cooperation agendas for the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.