Dinner begins at Gori, the tasting menu chef’s counter that opened this month above Anto, a high end Korean steakhouse in New York’s Midtown East, with the presentation of ingredients in a lavish Cartier chest. How to take this: a bit showy, too quintessential East Side? But once the ten courses start to appear, the luxe introduction makes sense. Chef Jeong Muk Kim, formerly of Myomi in Seoul, the youngest chef to earn a Michelin star in Korea, joined this nearly year old restaurant in November and uses strictly elite ingredients such as the caviar, uni and Wagyu in the chest. Even more important: the creations he produces from them for the ten seat counter have flavors so fully developed and enticing that they immediately set up anticipation for the next course.
South Korea Is Launching A Visa Just For K-Pop Fans
03.01.2024 - 06:27 / forbes.com
South Korea has announced that it will launch a new visa specifically for enthusiasts of South Korean culture. The Hallyu visa, also being called the “K-culture training visa,” will allow non-Koreans who register at local performing arts academies to stay in the country for up to two years. Hallyu, which translates to “Korean Wave,” refers to the enormous global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy exporting K-pop culture through music, films and other artistic mediums.
The business plan of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism cites the arts as “the driver of K-culture for the next generation,” naming support of young artists and writers as one of six key strategies to lure more visitors. Additionally, the country plans to launch the “K Tourism Road Show” in countries such as the US and Sweden this year. Specific requirements for the K-culture visa have not yet been disclosed, but details are expected by the second half of 2024.
From a tourism perspective, nurturing the rabid devotion of K-pop and K-drama fans makes a lot of financial sense. Consider that the $10-billion K-pop industry has become so crucial to South Korea’s economy that the country’s GDP took a hit last year after the musical juggernaut BTS announced it would be taking a temporary break while its members explored solo careers.
Meanwhile, after being decimated during the Covid-19 pandemic, South Korea’s tourism industry is again a significant economic driver. A recent report from the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that the country’s tourism sector will grow at an average rate of 4.8% annually through 2032, significantly outstripping the projected 1.8% growth rate of the national overall economy.
K-pop is already the most-cited reason for visiting the country, according to a report released in October by South Korea’s culture-and-tourism ministry. For three years, researchers tracked mentions of Korean culture on social and online media in the 20 top countries that drive inbound tourism. The study found that K-pop was mentioned nearly 37 million times—roughly 2.6 times more often than the next most-cited motivation, Korean food, and about four times more often than general Korean cultural content.
Visit Korea has increasingly featured K-culture in its marketing campaigns, to great success. A video called “Challenge Korea: Hello Future” starring “Squid Game” actor Lee Jung-jae has racked up 142 million views on YouTube since its release six months ago. And “Feel the Rhythm of Korea,” a series of more than three dozen videos featuring K-pop megastars like BTS and Blackpink to promote different Korean destinations, has reached more than 2.1 billion views on YouTube in three years.
In addition to the
Trip.com Group at World Economic Forum 2024: Asia’s biggest untapped opportunities in tourism
Leading global travel service provider Trip.com Group is embracing new trends and opportunities in the post-pandemic travel landscape, with its CEO Jane Sun sharing insights at the prominent World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland, this week. Ms Sun also expressed optimism about Asia’s continued growth and shared her perspective on its investment potential at the panel discussion titled “Asia – the world’s next growth anchor?”
Lightship Raises $34 Million for Electric RV
Six travel startups announced fundraises of more than $208 million this week.
What North Korea Travel Is Like: FAQ
An upcoming Russian tourist trip to North Korea is the first such inbound visit by vacationers there in four years. When people think of that country under the strict dictatorship of Kim Jong Un, they don’t think of tourism. So many will have questions about what kind of travel is possible.
Russians Will Lead North Korea's Post Pandemic Tourism Revival This February
Among the last countries to resume tourism activities post-pandemic, North Korea is set to welcome its first international tourists in February, marking the end of its border closure since January 22, 2020. And tourists, especially in Russia, are taking note.
North Korea set to welcome Russian ski trip in February - its first tourists since 2020
Russian tourists could be the first international travellers to visit North Korea since the country's borders closed in January 2020 amid the global COVD-19 lockdown.
North Korea Prepares For First Foreign Tourists Since Pandemic — Here’s What They’ll Do
North Korea will welcome its first foreign tourists since closing its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to news reports, a hint the isolated nation may be considering a revival of its small tourism industry amid growing tensions on the international stage.
Do I need a visa to visit Thailand?
Citizens of dozens of countries can enter Thailand visa-free.
Six countries have tied for the world's most powerful passport — and the US isn't one of them
Six countries now have the world's most powerful passport, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index — but the US isn't one of them.
Banyan Tree Rebranding Sets the Stage for 19 New Openings in 2024
As it prepares for the launch of 19 new properties in 2024, Singapore-headquartered Banyan Tree Group is embracing a sleeker image, rebranding itself as the Banyan Group.
The world's most powerful passports for 2024 are revealed
The world's most powerful passports for 2024 have been revealed — with the biggest shake-up in rankings we've seen in several years, including a never-before-seen six nations in first place.
Turkey Drops Visa Requirements for U.S. Travelers
American tourists traveling to Turkey will no longer need a visa, making it easier to visit.