Korea’s historic town of Andong targets Japanese travelers after latest Lee-Takaichi summit

An aerial view of Andong Hahoe Folk Village in North Gyeongsang [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

 

The Korea-Japan summit may be over — but for Japanese tourists, the itinerary is just beginning. Korea’s southeastern city of Andong is racing to commercialize every stop that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made during her summit with Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

 

Korean localities and tourism institutions are striving to capitalize on heightened interest among Japanese tourists in North Gyeongsang’s Andong following the Korea-Japan summit held in the city on May 19.

 


 

Marketing campaigns and travel packages recreating the summit itinerary are now in the works, all aimed at winning over Japanese travelers.

 

Korea and Japan have become each other’s most frequently visited foreign destinations due to rising fuel surcharges — which are amplified on long-haul flights — and their proximity. 

 

A total of 3.65 million Japanese travelers visited Korea last year, according to the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday. The figure accounted for roughly a quarter of the 14.73 million outbound Japanese tourists last year.

 

Conversely, 9.46 million Koreans traveled to Japan during the same period. Their share took 32 percent of the nation’s 29.55 million outbound travelers.

 

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, poses for a commemorative photo wearing eyeglasses gifted by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a hotel in Andong in North Gyeongsang on May 19. Takaichi is wearing Lee’s eyeglasses. [BLUE HOUSE]

 

During Japan’s recent so-called Golden Week, about 110,000 Japanese travelers visited Korea, up 53 percent from the same period last year. The Golden Week is an annual holiday season, which falls from April 29 to May 6 this year. 

 

Overall, Japanese arrivals to Korea this year have risen by more than 20 percent compared to the same period last year. 

 

Korea’s Tourism Ministry has partnered with the Japan Association of Travel Agents to develop and market travel packages tailored to Japanese visitors. Andong is among the selected “30 key small cities in Korea.”

 

Since last month, the ministry has also hosted seminars for the Japanese travel industry in major cities — Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai and Sapporo — to entice Japanese travelers to Andong.

 

Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori, a traditional mask dance drama of the region [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

 

Andong is considered one of Korea’s leading historic and cultural cities with four Unesco World Heritage sites: Hahoe Folk Village, Bongjeong Temple, Dosan Seowon Confucian Academy and Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy. 

 

The city is also home to a variety of traditional cultural performances, including
Seonyu Julbul Nori, a riverside fireworks tradition once enjoyed by nobility of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi viewed the spectacle during her recent visit. The city also preserves
Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori, a traditional mask dance drama from Hahoe Folk Village, a largely preserved Joseon Dynasty-era village located in a bend in the Nakdong River.

 

Japanese travelers accounted for 16,000 of the 265,000 trips by foreigners to Andong last year.

 

In connection with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit, the Tourism Ministry and Japanese travel agencies are set to roll out themed travel packages built around attractions such as Seonyu Julbul Nori, allowing visitors to retrace the sites visited and meals shared by Lee and Takaichi during the summit.

 

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi watch the Seonyu Julbul Nori, a fireworks display, at Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang, on May 19 after their bilateral summit. [BLUE HOUSE]

 

Starting later this month, major Japanese travel agencies will begin selling the new tour packages. The participating agencies include H.I.S., Hankyu Travel International and Yomiuri Travel Service.

 

Separately, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Organization plans to invite executives from major Japanese travel agencies to Andong in June for a familiarization tour. The event is expected to take place in coordination with the Korea Tourism Organization. The itinerary will include visits to Stanford Hotel Andong, where Takaichi stayed, Rakkojae Hanok Collection, Hahoe Folk Village and the mask dance performance. 

 

Authorities are also preparing an aggressive marketing push inside Japan to help travelers experience Andong’s appeal firsthand.

 

The dishes served at the dinner banquet hosted by Korean President Lee Jae Myung for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Andong, North Gyeongsang, on May 19. They are inspired from the ″Suunjapbang,″ Korea’s oldest surviving cookbook from Andong and a national treasure. [BLUE HOUSE]

 

The Asahi Shimbun and Nishinippon Shimbun will carry feature stories highlighting the city alongside advertisements for travel packages, while TV Asahi and TBS will introduce Andong’s tourist attractions and cultural experiences through television broadcast programs.

 

Online tourism platforms Rakuten Travel and Expedia will also launch promotional campaigns for tourism packages with flights through Daegu International Airport starting next month. Social media campaigns featuring promotional videos are also planned to build buzz among travelers.

 

In October, Japanese singer and actor Mitsuru Matsuoka will appear in a medical and wellness event held in the region.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]