– ‘2024 Korea Tourism Souvenir Expo’ held at DDP from 11.22 (Fri) to 23 (Sat)
– Korea’s best tourist souvenirs in one place… 123 companies participating, two-day exhibition and sales
– Souvenir show with Kwanghee, souvenir recipe talk with black and white chef Oh Se-deuk, etc.
Poster related to ‘Korea Tourism Souvenir Expo’.[제공=관광공사]
[원주=강원순 기자]A festival will be held where you can see Korea’s representative tourist souvenirs in one place. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (Acting President Seo Young-chung, hereinafter referred to as the Corporation) announced on the 20th that they will hold the ‘Korea Tourism Souvenir Fair’ at Hall 1 of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) Art Hall for two days on the 22nd and 23rd.
This expo, which marks its 3rd anniversary this year, is held under the concept of a ‘souvenir village where a festival is held’, and approximately 120 companies from all over the country participate to directly promote and sell various souvenirs.
You can see 25 award-winning works, including the ‘2024 Korea Tourism Souvenir Contest’ Presidential Award winner ‘Gam Seon-ok Original Set’, as well as a variety of products reflecting the latest trends such as processed foods, crafts, living/daily necessities, and fashion miscellaneous goods, all in one place. In particular, as the ‘Local Specialty’ category was newly established in this contest, a special pavilion was created where representative tourist souvenirs from various domestic and overseas regions can be seen.
First, on the 22nd, following the ‘2024 Korea Tourist Souvenir Contest Awards Ceremony’, a quiz show and story auction event for the winners will be held with visitors at the broadcaster ‘Souvenir Show with Kwanghee’.
On the 23rd, there will be a ‘Gourmet Souvenir, F&B Award-winning Secret Recipe Talk’ with Chef Oh Se-deuk, who appeared on ‘Black and White Chef’. During the expo, you can experience award-winning souvenirs such as ‘Dancheong Keycap Keyboard Custom’ and ‘My Own Incense Clay Steering Experience’, as well as sample gourmet souvenirs such as ‘Royal Dessert Gamseonok’, ‘Spicy Tomato Jam’, and ‘Mermaid’s Snack’. . Events such as random drawing of souvenirs, DIY souvenir wappen workshop, coloring contest, and issuance of souvenir village citizenship cards will also be held throughout the two days.
In addition to exhibitions and sales, 1:1 B2B consultations on product entry between participating companies and influential buyers such as Hyundai Department Store, Muji, and Korail Distribution will also be conducted to support industry sales channels.
In addition, there will be events such as ‘Glocal Souvenir Trend Talk’ with Dr. Jihye Choi, author of ‘Trend Korea 2025’ and Youngmi Ko, Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and ‘Souvenir Funding Insight Talk Show’ with Dongcheol Choi, CEO of Wadiz Impact and contest winning companies, among other industry insiders. There are also programs available for this.
Meanwhile, the Corporation established the ‘Hyundai Department Store Special Award’, the first private company to sponsor this year’s souvenir contest, and collaborated in various ways, such as selling products at The Hyundai Seoul We Market pop-up store and Hyundai Department Store’s own souvenir select shop ‘The Hyundai Present’. Creating a model.
Cho Sang-myeong, CEO of Shellan Korea, which has won souvenir contests three times so far this year, said, “Through the contest, we have achieved sales of 100 million won in one month.” He added, “This contest provides customized business education and mentoring tailored to each company’s situation. “It was good that the process was carried out with great care, and it was helpful to showcase the product in popular spaces such as ‘The Hyundai Seoul’,” he said.
Kim Dong-il, head of the Korea Tourism Industry Division, said, “Souvenirs have a special quality that allows us to cherish the moments of our travels for a long time and make us dream of traveling there again.” He added, “This expo will spread the value of souvenirs containing the charms of Korea and the region.” “We look forward to this being a valuable opportunity to inform and seek new business opportunities for the industry.” /k10@sedaily.com
Guest 1: Can you tell us more about the significance of this ‘Korea Tourism Souvenir Expo’ for local businesses and the tourism industry as a whole?
Guest 2: What role do you see souvenirs playing in promoting and preserving the cultural identity of Korea?
Guest 1: Could you explain how participating in the ‘Korea Tourism Souvenir Contest’ benefits companies and how this expo contributes to their success?
Guest 2: As a representative from Hyundai Department Store, can you share your insights on the partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization and the importance of supporting local businesses in the tourism industry?
Guest 1: What kind of programs or events are planned for visitors at the expo to enhance their experience and knowledge about Korean tourism souvenirs?
Guest 2: As an industry professional, how can the government and private sectors collaborate further to support the growth and development of the tourism souvenir market in Korea?
