According to a poll of 7,000 barbarians by the Korea Tourism Organization, Korea was the second least attractive tourist destination in Asia:
Korea is one of the least attractive countries for tourism, but the average five-star hotel rate is one of the highest among Asian countries, Rep. Choi Gu-sik of the Grand National Party (GNP) said Tuesday.
Korea ranked seventh among eight Asian countries in the ranking of attractive tourist spots, according to an opinion survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization.
In the poll of 7,000 foreigners aged between 18 and 64 who are familiar with the country, Japan ranked first, Singapore and Thailand joint second, followed by Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.
Korea did manage to beat out Taiwan, though.
Interestingly, in a separate survey, Korea’s five-star hotel rate was the 30th highest in the world and the second most expensive in Asia behind Hong Kong.
Rep. Choi is on the ball, though:
Choi urged the tourism organization to develop “things foreigners can enjoy in Korea” and promote cheap local accommodation they can use as a tourism strategy.
“People are seeking to have fun in their lives. Governments are trying to attract foreign tourists as they perceive the tourism sector as a vehicle that can attract foreign investment,” Choi said.
The lawmaker said the government should work together with the organization to map out an effective tourism promotion plan as well as developing items that can attract foreigners.
Things foreigners can enjoy in Korea? Hmm…
Me? Well, I’m more of a “just leave shit alone” sort of guy — just promote the things that need to be promoted, provide information, and let things be. As pointed out by Prof. Chung Jae-hoon (cited in this post), Korea’s traditional aesthetic tends to work against “sightseeing,” and again, as I’ve said before, fixating on numbers doesn’t help.
35 Comments
I got dibs on the first sarcastic “four distinct seasons” comment. OK, here we go:
Don’t people realize that some of those other Asian countries don’t have four distict . . .
Y’know, nevermind.
They’re right about the expense of the “5-star” hotels. Why pay $300+ per night for mediocre service when I can pay less than $50 a night in a deluxe “love motel” and get a computer, projection screen TV, DVD surround sound, 8-nozzle shower, and a jazuzzi in my room?
As for “developing things for foreigners to enjoy”, I think I mentioned something on there about their “international” festivals. They really need to get on the ball, take a look at how other similar (and fully International) festivals are run. The Hi Seoul International Food Festival was a complete joke compared to the Singapore food festival. Had I been a tourist, I would have guessed Hi Seoul was organized by a group of gung-ho university Tourism majors, not people who supposedly know what they’re doing.
There is lots Koreans can do to promote tourism, but little government can do.
All the government does is piss money away on stupid promotions.
1. Seoul of Asia
2. Korea Sparkling
3. Dynamic Korea
The less the government (s) in this country advertize their stupidity the better off we will all be.
I like Taiwan. I found it similar to Korea in many ways, and the people were quite friendly. Although it does lack the wonderful whoring and meth/opium abuse opportunities to be had in Chiang Mai… mmmm.. yaba…
“Korea: Not as Shitty As Taiwan” — “Korea: Sparkling” has a better ring to it.
There needs to be one go-to tourism Korea website that’s updated frequently and keeps tabs on events, festivals, concerts, cultural performances, all around Korea, all in one place, that is accessible from every browser, uses no activex controllers, and has well-done multi-lingual instructions on access and lodging. Korea’s festivals and countryside are great, there’s always something going on in the cities, but nobody knows where to start looking to find out the whens, wheres, and hows. The information’s out there, but 1. not enough of it is translated into other languages, and 2. there isn’t any place that pulls it all together, a one-stop-shop, and 3. Seoul City, and the rest of Korea still has too many sites that can only be properly used if you install activex crap on your computer.
http://www.gatoko.com/
is a good start — it just needs an upcoming events widget, possibly where one can toggle from one province or city to another.
Korea has the tools, but needs to know how to present them better.
Where to start? No centralized information on festivals etc. Also no coordinated festivals, this weeks seoul jazz festival is competing with one in Ulsan. The english sites for local festivals are downright shitty. #5 has a good start
Hotels: Wife had a friend from the states here on business last week and said hotel quality/costs were bad compared to other cities be goes to. Then there is the midrange hotel. very little info out there for non-koreans. Also a downright hostility when a foreigner trys to stay at a love hotel. It seems like Koreans want us to stay either in 5 star hotels or dont come. Look at SE Asia mid range accomdation is easy to find and book. When we travel one of the hardest things to find is a hotel
Transport: Why cant foreigners book train tickets online? Its like the KTX is for koreans only.
Sites: besides Gyeongju there isnt much for foreigners to see or it isnt promoted to english speakers.
Finally why cant they get native english speakers to proof what is out there so it doesnt look so cheesy
rant over
After many many discussions on this perennial topic, I have come to a personal conclusion. My conclusion is somewhat supported by the subtext of the above article.
To start with, Rob might put a fancy bow on it with “traditional aesthetic”, but I think the Korean National Tourism Organization, the government, and perhaps by extension the people, really do not give a damn what the tourist wants. What they want to do is give an impression of the country, not to insure that the tourist has a good time. For example take Korean Tourism ads. They are all the same, traditional buildings and dress mixed with high speed trains and electronics do-dads. How often do you see more traditional tourist images in Korean Ads? A swimming pool with a girl in a bikini? Classy restaurant dining? A raucous nightlife scene? A simple bit of sun and sand? (Guess who wins palms vs. cell phones.)
The problem with such a standpoint is two fold. First, if the tourist is not willing to accept the impression (actively or passively) he may not have a good vacation since the impression is all there is offer. Second, and more invidiously, this protects the KNTO from any flack. The failure to make the right impression can passed off on the tourist, and also admitting that the impression strategy is failing is akin to saying the impression is not good, which would run counter to Korean self-opinion. Couple this failsafe mechanism and cultural pride with governmental bureaucratic inertia and you got a classic recipe for the ham-handed approach Korea’s tourism never changing, no matter how many hotels are built.
All this though is a sideshow compared to the real issue. The complaint is not that Korea ranks low in tourism per se. The complaint is that there is a tourism DEFICIT! That’s right, it’s all about typical Korean mercantilist tendencies to equate any deficit of trade with a negative. Any trade deficit sends Korean policy makers into a tizzy, and tourism is no different, and also explains why Rob’s “leave shit alone” strategy would never work in Korea.
Meanwhile, you ever notice how much of the tourism ad buys are done in Korea? Ever notice why Korea has some high class ski resorts, but rarely promotes them outside of Korea? (except of course if it’s an Olympic bid) Why “tourism facilites” could be read as “more golf” as Koreans take golf trips every weekend to points afar?
Its because all this stuff, even the basis for the conversation here, as NOTHING TO DO WITH ENCOURAGING FOREGIENRS TO COME! It all has to do with solving the balance of the tourism trade, and the easiest target is Koreans in Korea.
“but the average five-star hotel rate is one of the highest among Asian countries”
This is a good example of misplaced thinking. 98% of foreign tourists don’t want to stay at expensive 5-star hotels, especially if the service isn’t nearly up to what $250 / night will get you in SE Asia.
Last year on our staff retreat we stayed in a ‘resort hotel’ and I can just imagine what a western family would think of it:
- Nobody can speak English.
- When you call for room service to request something you get a boorish ajuma with no people skills.
- They only have dinky little hand towels - no proper bath towels.
- There’s a ‘Korean Restaurant’ that serves standard Korean fare, a ‘Shilla Restaurant’ that serves more expensive standard Korean fare, and a ‘Swiss Restaurant’ that serves nothing you would ever find in Switzerland.
- You have to rent a shower cap to use the swimming pool.
- Kids point and giggle and announce ‘waegook saram eeda!’ at a white person in the elevator.
- Unsupervised kids are running all over the lobby.
- The basement karaoke bar doubles as a rooms salon and when doors open you can see undressed women being felt up by customers.
- In every fourth or fifth room a bunch of drunks on a company workshop are partying it up well into the night (it’s not so bad when you’re part of the party, mind you).
- The view from our hotel room window was completely obstructed by a gigantic banner.
I’m sure there were lots of other annoyances I can’t remember. Seriously, what western family would possibly want to pay good money to stay at such a ‘resort’?
It was so good it needed to be repeated thrice…
jk. tl;dr
Tourists don’t want to see things that were created for tourists to see. Tourists want to go somewhere where the local people are doing things that they enjoy and are having fun with, and then the tourist can join in too.
If Korea focuses on creating things that ‘the foreigners’ want to do then they’ll never get anywhere. They should focus on making fun things for Koreans to do and then more tourists will stop by the fun country with fun people who are busy doing fun things.
Rooms at 5-star hotels in Seoul can be booked for considerably less than 300$/night online. But, after having booked your hotel room, get ready to receive a call from the Korean consolidator telling you that won’t be getting breakfast for free with your reservation because the deal was for Koreans only. Sparkling!
Lovely country! Pity about the people, though.
In all cases, a failure of regulation choking off market incentives.
The cost of the hotels can be chalked up to the fact that it’s nearly impossible to construct one. The government doles out hotel permissions like they were a license to print money, which in fact they are, since the supply is so constricted. The JW Marriott is the last five-star property to be completed in Seoul, and it too followed a 15-year interregnum during which no new major hotels were constructed.
Surly staff is a product of a Labor Standards Act and trade-union environment which forbid termination of staff, no matter what.
@13 What about the COEX I-con and the Park Hyatt?
Hey, you’re right. Just goes to show how old I am. Anyway, neither of those properties is exactly large. The supply of rooms remains highly constrained, just like the supply of first-class commercial property, first-class retail, and reasonable residential accommodation. And that redounds directly to cost.
The point is valid, I just was wondering if there was something funky with the licenses. As I recall the Hyundai Park Hyatt one was transfered from a Four Seasons that was supposed to go into the what is now the Star Tower.
@6,r.rac
To my knowledge, they re-enabled foreigners to book Korail and KTX tickets online a few months ago. Just go here:
http://www.korail.com/en/
Now, whether they will ban us foreigners from booking online again, like they did a few years ago, I can’t say.
“The basement karaoke bar doubles as a rooms salon and when doors open you can see undressed women being felt up by customers.” Hey, what’s the name of that place?
I heard Korea does well with bringing in conventions and could expand its promotion of ski resoprts to Chinese tourists. Other than that, we’re back in the endless discussion at Marmot’s on what there is here to attract tourists, which is not much.
Mrs. Linkd here. Korea does all right for conventions mainly because of the circuit that major international conventions (5000-10000 people) are going on. When you’re rotating Europe - Americas - Asia, there are only so many big cities that a) have major facilities and b) have a large enough population to bring in the usual 25 - 50% local attendance required to make the event profitable. Seoul has done well mainly with medical events, since their local attendance numbers are often double what other locations bring in. That was the key decision factor in the recent win for some 8000+ Hypertension conference scheduled to take place at COEX in 2014.
That factor removed, Korea really prices itself out of the market. Other complaints include a lack of a single government body to assist convention planners, a crappy attitude on the part of domestic airlines, (absolutely no group discounts) and evil price increases on the part of hotels. Didja know the #1 and #2 most profitable hotels in the InterContinental chain are the Grand and the COEX InterContinentals?
Pricewise, only Japan is more expensive, and not by much.
The circuit will bring people to Korea eventually, since right now it seems to be Singapore, HK OR Macau (they tend to be thought of as “one location” now, and then either Seoul or Bangkok. Bangkok’s pulling ahead though, with some great new facilities, and huge cost advantages, plus the incentive travel benefits.
I don’t expect conventions to be the “success story” they’ve claimed it to be in coming years. The majority of government investment in recent years has been to try to spread out conventions throughout Korea, to the detriment of Seoul. Huge white elephant convention centers in Gwangju, etc. Gosh, the government is making things worse? Imagine!
I just left the industry after several years of probably being the “number one whitey” promoting conventions in Korea. It’s not all rosy ahead.
Surly staff is a product of a Labor Standards Act and trade-union environment…
Seriously, what isn’t the fault of the labor unions? You’re starting to sound less and less like a broken record and more and more like a batshit-mad obsessive. Time to move on Captain Capitalist.
R.Rac, I’ve always had good experiences at love motels (and not just because…well, never mind). Sure the guy/ajumma in the little glass window at the front door is never particularly ebullient, but who cares? For 40-50$ for 2 people you get one of the best value motels anywhere. Makes travelling around Korea a breeze. As Darth points out, a jacuzzi, massive HD TV, computer, plenty of space…makes me want to hit the road this friday come to think of it…
Thanks for the info Mrs. Linkd. What you said about opening multiple convention centers that compete for the same business made me LOL–it’s the national version of multiple kimpap stores opening on the same street.
And Dram man, that “tourism defecit” is the gov’t measure of what revenue Korea gets for tourists in the country versus “lost” revenue from Korean tourism overseas. It’s used by many countries.
It ain’t just me. But thanks for the insult.
#6: “Why cant foreigners book train tickets online? Its like the KTX is for koreans only”
You want to know something? I was told that very thing a few years back when I tried online booking (my mum was coming to Korea and wanted her not to have to worry about traversing Korean ticketing herself) and failed. I called up customer service to do it over the phone to reserve them. Can’t do it because I don’t have a Korean ID number. My K-friend took the phone to give them his K-ID. No go because he is not the one picking up and using the tickets. So we asked how a tourist can reserve KTX tickets. “The KTX is not for tourists! It is for Koreans only!” then he rudely (natch) hung up on us. Sparkling!
#8: Your resort sounds an awful lot like how Hanhwa Resort in Seokcho was back in 2003. I was lucky that I got discounts totalling 65%, otherwise it would have been WAY overpriced for what service we received.
#20″a jacuzzi, massive HD TV, computer, plenty of space…makes me want to hit the road this friday come to think of it…”…. I actually DO “hit the road” every 2 weeks or so, just so I can use the jacuzzi and bathtub. Course, the “road” just means walking down to the deluxe love hotel 10 minutes away. I get a decent discount there now because I’m a regular; W20,000 for a night of “luxury” is not bad at all.
I can’t imagine anything good coming out of using a jacuzzi at a love hotel. Sounds like an invitation to a myriad of health problems. Yuck.
The new Seoul commercial on Discovery channel is pretty good. The one with the dude and his camera and the temples.
It’s centuries ahead of the one that was on 4 or 5 months ago, with the girl gushing about ‘Lotto World’ (!?) and ‘Korean foods’ and in general making a mockery of the English language at the expense of Korea’s image.
Tourists in Korea have to be a bit more intrepid than in other countries. That probably invites a certain type of tourist, but probably not the one with bulging pockets.
Expensive does not necessarily equal good quality, at least for foreign tourists. I still can’t understand how those luxury cabs can stay in the black. And like someone mentioned previously, why pay 300 bucks when you can get a reasonable facsimile for 50 or so? No skin off my back if the bed is heart-shaped.
Korea has lots to offer. Steer em to General Yi’s shrine, not Lotte World. Shirk awkward comparisons like ‘Korea’s Hawaii’. These places can stand on their own.
Redneck, you do realize they clean the rooms and the facilities, right? And that the water in a jacuzzi is hot enough to kill anything the maids missed, right? (Jesus, it’s not like I’m watching a movie on the spooge-sofa in the local DVD-bang)?
Or do you simply believe ANY jacuzzi is an invitation to a myriad of health problems? Do you have problems with using the toilets in hotel rooms, too?
Darth, you do realize trying to convert a jerk brings more frustration to the man at the helm than he in the pew?
“A good definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results”.
Don’t cast your pearls before swine, as He said.
Others have said it, but the simple fact is Koreans don’t want Western tourists. They want Japanese and Chinese tourists only. Oh they love the Western businessman to come here and spend $300 a night at the Hyatt, do his shopping in Myeongdong and then leave. Western tourists however are neither appreciated nor sought after in this country. The average Westerner (not expat that’s lived here for 10 years) has a certain expectation for service and courteousness that is simply incompatible with the Korean way. Other Asian countries can tolerate the lack of refinement from their bumpkin neighbors but few Westerners will.
Knowing this and the huge undertaking it would be to transform the overall lack of refinement and manners here into a standard that Westerners would approve of, it’s simply easier not to even seek the Western tourist at all. Having said that, the yokels running the tourist hotels and resorts will still take the intrepid tourist’s money but don’t expect anything close to Western standards. Some will find this quaint and charming. Most will find it unsatisfactory.
On a recent trip to Gyeongju, arguably Korea’s number one tourist destination, I couldn’t find one person in the entire area that spoke English. There were no maps or guides in English either but they did have them in Japanese and Chinese.
In staying at the Bomun Lake Resort Hotel, again not one person on the entire staff could speak English and the only food served in the hotel was Korean except for the standard hamburger steak. They did have a Japanese breakfast available though.
I’ve been here a long time so none of this surprised me or lessened my enjoyment of the visit. Most other Westerners though, especially tourists who have never been to Korea before, might not feel the same way. This country is never going to be high on any Western Tourism destination list but Korea couldn’t care less. They do well enough with the Japanese and Chinese so who can blame them.
Is anyone obtuse enough to believe those Sparkling Korea commercials highlighting cell phones and shopping malls were made to attract Westerners?
Back to the article….was anyone else surprised that Thailand finished tied for second with Singapore? I figured Thailand would be way at the top of this poll. Not only is it the most tourist friendly country in Asia, but it has arguably the best shopping, food, nightlife and beaches in Asia too. And its cheap! Steak & lobster for $7. Japan must have rigged the results. ha ha.
On a recent trip to Gyeongju, arguably Korea’s number one tourist destination, I couldn’t find one person in the entire area that spoke English. There were no maps or guides in English either but they did have them in Japanese and Chinese.
Sorry, that’s my fault. When we were at Gyeongju Station recently, we must have gotten the last two English maps.
#18, I believe it was the Temf Hotel in Gyeongju (near the Bomun Lake Resort Hotel).
There must have been 25 posts and 1000 comments over the last few years about tourism to Korea, all offering suggestions about which shade of lipstick to put on the pig.
Quit deluding yourselves. It’s a fucking pig.
@28
I do agree that Korea is trying to attract Chinese and Japanese tourists more than Westeners. It is good niche for them to fit into, and have had some sucess with.
However, as far as western standards go you have to admit they drive the market. For example the towel comment made above. As a Japanese tourist which sounds better, the tea-towel at the local Korean resort, or the full bath towel at the local place in Thailand. Which is better, being forced to buy/rent a swimming cap at the Marriott (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294197-d299776-r11902465-JW_Marriott_Hotel_Seoul-Seoul.html), or breezing in at the pool at the Marriott in Shanghai?
Sure they are not attracting westerners, but as anybody who has stayed at Asia’s luxury joints (Peninsula, MO, etc.) those western accruturments drive the market.
The only real Western tourists you’ll get here (beyond businessmen and people visiting friends and relatives) are the intrepid types, the types that compare hitchhiking in Tibet stories to see who had the worst, and therefore most worthy, experience. The marketing here is all wrong for that kind of traveller.
The slogan, at least for Western eyes, should be “Korea: Because it’s different!” There’s no way this is the “Soul of Asia.” This is like nowehere else in Asia, and they should play up that uniqueness.
Nobody speaks English, people are going to bump into you, taxi drivers and innkeepers are rude, nobody’s going to put his hands together and bow to you; if you want pampering go to fricken’ Thailand, you pansy. Korea: Can you handle it?
I saw this show on Korea last week, that took some unsuspecting Europeans, and one African, made fools out of them, and then forced them to chant “Dokdo is Korea’s” towards the end. Complicit in this was the Kiwi cunt who taught them about Dokdo at the end. Suppose any other country chose to represent its self through its territory disputes, think of how many tourists would start rushing in. Mexico has alcapulco, but imagine going to Mexico and people start screaming at you about how Texas is theirs, would you still want to go there, or even put you on television and made you chant that?
It won’t be the climate or the architecture or the cuisine or the hotels that attract toursists…but it could be SPORT (recently there was a Touch rugby event with teams from all over….very amateur but great oak trees start from small acorns, viz the Hong Kong Sevens rugby) and more readily TECHNOLOGY which could be an amazing opportunity for Samsung, LG etc to show off futuristic wares….(you heard it here first, folks!)
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