Hon’ble Minister for Industry, Commerce & Employment (MoICE) Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, along with Bhutan’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, officials from the Department of Tourism, and Bhutanese tour operators are participating in the 3rd World Tourism Industry Conference and the 39th Seoul International Travel Fair, taking place in Seoul from 9th to 12th May.

The conference and travel fair have attracted ministerial delegations, senior government officials, and the participation of over 500 travel companies from 40 countries, including Bhutan.
Korea presents a significant market with immense potential for Bhutan to invest in marketing through active participation in such official and B2B events. In recent years, the highest number of visitors from Korea was recorded in 2017 with 6,048 visitors, and just before the pandemic in 2019, there were 1,408 visitors. However, post-pandemic recovery has been slow, with only 209 Korean visitors in 2023. The target is to attract approximately 2,000 to 3,000 tourists from Korea for the 2024-25 period.
Effective marketing strategies and improved air connectivity are two primary areas of focus. While efforts are underway to bolster marketing initiatives, the government is also engaged in follow-up discussions with the Korean government regarding the signing of the Air Service Agreement, which was initially proposed by the Korean side some years ago. This agreement can facilitate direct chartered flights between Bhutan and Korea by our airlines. There is already a good demand from leading travel companies, and the Ministry is actively pursuing this opportunity.