The country, which records a significant increase in international visitors with 15.3 million tourists in 2018, will boost promotion of the destination by adding its brand to that of FITUR. His presence as a partner coincides with the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Spain. South Korea is currently the third largest issuing market in Asia for Spain. It is a very attractive and a safe destination, with modern, high-quality infrastructures and a good public transportation network.
The next edition of the International Tourism Fair, FITUR 2020, presents South Korea as a partner country, a destination that has experienced a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors, which in 2018 reached 15.3 million tourists, 15.1% more than the previous year. The Asian country also has a growing attraction for Spaniards, as last year there were 27,314 who came to visit, 17.2% more than in 2017.
The presence of South Korea as a FITUR Partner country establishes a wide field of joint action in the most significant areas of promotion and communication of this great event of the tourism industry which, organized by IFEMA will celebrate its 40th edition from 22nd to 26th January 2020 at Feria de Madrid. Furthermore, the Asian country's joining forces with FITUR comes at the best of times, precisely when it celebrates the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Spain.
Korea is currently the third largest issuing market in Asia for Spain, and the interest of its citizens in our country has also increased notably in recent years. Thus, the number of Korean tourists who visited Spain in 2018 was 490,636, compared to 441,826 in 2017 and 43,000 in 2010. The existing access facilities, with direct flights from Seoul to Madrid and Barcelona, also enhance communications between the two countries.
The collaboration between South Korea and FITUR also contributes to creating a close link with the sum of this country's brand to the International Tourism Trade Fair, which will allow the new FITUR Partner to take advantage of and make even more profitable the great promotional potential of the event. In this way, South Korea will have the best international showcase to promote the destination.
As a FITUR 2020 Partner country, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, together with the Korean Tourism Organization (www.visitkorea.or.kr), under the slogan ""Imagine your Korea", will display an extensive promotional campaign aimed at the Spanish public. The Hallyu Tourism (Korean Wave), DMZ Peace Tourism and Cultural Tourism will be only a small part of the whole tourist offer that will be exhibited in its 320m2 stand.
The 'FITUR Partner' initiative was implemented in 2016 and gives Fair participants the opportunity to join a partnership program, offering them through its communication strategy maximum dissemination and projection to their destination.
A modern, attractive and safe destination
Located in Northeast Asia, South Korea is a small country with a population of about 52 million. To visit it, Spaniards require a passport, but do not need a visa. With 5,000 years of history, South Korea is a very attractive and safe destination, where ancient temples and palaces coexist with a spectacular urban landscape of glass and steel. It has a good public transport network, in which the underground stands out; the trains, including the KTX (high speed train); and the buses. In addition, its standard of living is similar to that of Spain and each of its four seasons offers interesting scenic and climatic attractions.
It is a modern and dynamic country. Its capital, Seoul, with 10 million inhabitants, is a very safe, technologically advanced city that never sleeps. Past and present, nature and the latest technology, embrace each other in a city that, beyond Asia, is becoming a truly global city.
Busan, the country's second largest metropolis with 3.5 million inhabitants, is a port city that acts as a major logistics centre for Asia and the world. The city is worth a visit not only because of the immense variety of tourist attractions but also because of its cultural heritage which contrasts with the capital.
South Korea has ancient traditions and a well-preserved heritage, including ancient royal palaces, shrines and tombs, ancient Buddhist temples, Confucianist academies and traditional villages. No less than 14 sites belong to the UNESCO World Heritage.
In addition, its visitors can enjoy a great diversity of landscapes, which are distributed in a small territory of 100,210 square kilometers. Seventy percent of the country is covered by mountains, and the highest is Mt Hallasan, at 1,950 meters. It has 18 national parks, 4 marine and coastal national parks, rice fields, green tea plantations and attractive beaches.
South Korea's cuisine is healthy and varied, and the territory offers a great diversity of events and shows, such as the many festivals organized throughout the year. Among them, the Tea Festival, the Taekwondo Festival, the Lotus Flower Lanterns Festival, the Ceramics Festival, etc.
In addition, South Korea is a very attractive MICE destination, for which it has 13 conference centres, more than 100 places for organising events and meetings, and numerous activities for incentive trips.
About FITUR 2020
Organized by IFEMA, FITUR 2020 will once again be presented as the great international reference event for the tourism industry. In addition to the excellent participation forecasts, in line with the good data from the tourism industry, this year the Fair will celebrate its 40th Anniversary, a special occasion which will put the finishing touches on a whole series of initiatives already underway and which are intended to give continuity to FITUR's successful and upwardly mobile history. Last year's FITUR brought together 10,400 participating companies with over 253,000 attendees.
About South Korea
South Korea is considered a Country with Strategic Sector Action (PASE) by the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade. Korea requires special attention as it is the 11th largest economy in the world in terms of GDP size, the sixth largest exporter of goods and the 17th largest exporter of services and the 9th largest importer of goods (WTO World Trade Statistical Review 2018 data). Its per capita income already reaches US$ 32,046 in 2018 (IMF WEO October 2018 estimate), a population made up of increasingly sophisticated consumers with high purchasing power, and a market that is rapidly opening up to the outside world with growing interest in Europe and where the demand for quality foreign products incorporating design and reliability is increasing. The EU signed the first Free Trade Agreement with an Asian country, which has opened up important opportunities that are being exploited for bilateral trade. In the industrial field, Korea is a world leader in innovation that makes cooperation possible. The country also has a geographical position between the two other major markets in the Far East, for which it can serve as a gateway.
According to the ICEX, trade between Spain and Korea is growing, is diversified by sector, and has an important intra-industrial component within the global value chains of the automotive, chemical, electronic and metal sectors.
