Local travel begins when you land at a regional airport... KTO strengthens tailored services for foreign visitors

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said on the 7th that it will run the “Unlock Your Korea: Go Local” campaign through December 13 to make regional travel more convenient for foreign tourists.
The campaign aims to reduce the inconveniences foreign tourists may encounter during their travels after arriving in Korea, including with transportation, payments and tourist information. It targets gateway cities where Cheongju, Daegu and Gimhae airports and the ports of Incheon, Pyeongtaek and Gunsan are located, as well as nearby areas.
The KTO is expanding mobile payment and post-purchase tax refund infrastructure at local businesses, including traditional markets, and will run joint promotions with WOWPASS, a payment and commerce platform for foreign visitors. Customers who spend at least 10,000 won at local businesses will receive a 2,000-won refund per transaction. Each person can receive the benefit up to six times, for a total of up to 12,000 won.
The K-Tour Pass, which combines transportation and tourist attraction discounts, will also be introduced. Pass holders can use it in Busan to get a discount on the Airport Railroad Express train fare and free admission to one of 35 paid tourist attractions in the city.
The KTO will also expand information on quality accommodations, including hanok near regional airports and ports, and strengthen the multilingual services of the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline. It also plans to develop travel packages linked to local food festivals, such as the Daegu Tteokbokki Festival and Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, and run joint promotions with global online travel agencies (OTAs) and others.
[email protected] Jeong Sun-min Reporter