Gangneung Travel Mart, an international tourism trade event, held for the first time; travel agencies from 7 countries take part

【Financial News, Gangneung = Kim Gi-seop, staff writer】The first international tourism trade event aimed at expanding overseas markets for Gangneung tourism has opened in Gangneung.
According to Gangneung City on the 29th, the 2026 Gangneung Travel Mart opened that day at the Gangneung Convention Center, with around 200 people from domestic and international travel agencies, tourism businesses in Gangwon Province and related organizations in attendance. Hosted by Gangneung City and organized by the Gangneung Tourism Development Corporation, the two-day event runs through the 30th under the slogan “Gangneung’s Wave to the World.”
At the opening ceremony, the city signed joint-marketing agreements with major Japanese travel agency H.I.S. Co., Ltd. and Taiwan-based online travel platform Asiayo, getting serious about breaking into overseas markets. The city also plans to expand exchanges between domestic and international inbound travel agencies and tourism businesses in Gangwon Province.
The morning’s travel forum explored Gangneung’s international tourism strategy under the theme “Local Brands’ Global Leap.” Following a keynote address by CK Cheong, CEO of Asiayo, and a presentation by Han Jin-young, a professor at Catholic Kwandong University, experts from domestic and international tourism organizations, academia and the regional tourism industry joined a panel to assess Gangneung’s tourism ecosystem and share success stories of local brands abroad.


In the afternoon, a business-to-business matchmaking session connected travel agencies and tourism businesses one-on-one. Buyers included 23 people from 15 overseas travel agencies in seven countries—Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia—and 46 people from 28 South Korean travel agencies, including agencies specializing in Gangwon Province. Sellers included 68 people from 34 companies, such as accommodation providers, operators of tourism and experience-based offerings, and souvenir makers in Gangneung, Donghae, Sokcho, Yangyang County and Pyeongchang County.
Participants went beyond exchanging information to carefully assess opportunities to create new products using Gangneung’s tourism resources and sell them overseas. In particular, a proposal to develop products combining tourist destinations along Gangwon Province’s east coast, with Gangneung as a base, drew interest. On the second day, the 30th, representatives of overseas travel agencies will take part in a familiarization tour of tourist attractions in and around Gangneung.
Gangneung Mayor Kim Jung-nam said, “It is a meaningful first step just to have travel agencies from seven countries and East Coast tourism businesses come together and envision tourism products based in Gangneung.” He added, “Starting with the joint-marketing agreements with travel agencies in Japan and Taiwan, we will continue to build ties with the overseas travel industry so that the region’s distinctive offerings help attract foreign tourists.”

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter