Taiwan-Korea Tourism Exchange Conference Discusses Cooperation, Aims for 2 Million Mutual Visits Each

(Central News Agency reporter Huang Yujing, Pingtung County, 11th) The "Taiwan-Korea Tourism Exchange Conference" kicked off today, with representatives from government, industry, and academia of both countries gathering in Kenting to discuss tourism development trends and regional tourism cooperation. The conference proposed a future cooperation goal of 2 million mutual visits each between Taiwan and Korea.

The 39th "Taiwan-Korea Tourism Exchange Conference" opened today in Kenting, bringing together nearly 200 representatives from the tourism sectors of Taiwan and Korea. They discussed market development trends, regional tourism cooperation, sustainable tourism, and future policy directions. Attendees included Huang Shih-fang, Deputy Director-General of the Tourism Administration; Chou Chun-mi, Magistrate of Pingtung County; Yeh Chu-lan, Honorary President of the Taiwan Visitors Association; Chien Yu-yen, President of the Taiwan Visitors Association; and Lee Jin-seok, Chairman of the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA).

In his speech, Huang Shih-fang stated that the Taiwan-Korea tourism market showed strong growth momentum in 2025, with total two-way visits reaching 2.85 million, including over 1.016 million Korean visitors to Taiwan. He said the Tourism Administration will continue to use diverse incentive measures, including those for repeat visitors, incentive travel, and stopover tourism, to stimulate the willingness of different target markets to visit Taiwan. It will also combine government and private sector efforts, leveraging 330 weekly flights, not only to increase the number of Taiwan-Korea travel exchanges but also to boost per capita spending and length of stay.

Chou Chun-mi stated that Korea has always been one of Pingtung's important international source markets. She expressed a commitment to deepening ties with the Korean tourism industry through international exchanges, industrial cooperation, and tourism marketing, to attract more Korean tourists to Pingtung and let them experience its unique cultural charm and natural beauty.

The Tourism Administration stated that representatives from both sides agreed to continue working towards a balanced two-way exchange, proposing a future cooperation goal of 2 million visits each, for a total of 4 million visits.

Lee Jin-seok urged Korean travel industry players to actively leverage the increasing number of weekly flights between Taiwan and Korea, as well as opportunities for additional flights at airports in central and southern Taiwan, to guide more Korean tourists to these regions and explore Taiwan's diverse tourism offerings.

According to the Pingtung County Government's Department of Transportation and Tourism, based on Tourism Administration statistics, Korean visitors accounted for nearly 12% of all inbound visitors to Taiwan last year. Of these, approximately 116,000 visited Pingtung, accounting for about 11% of Korean visitors to Taiwan. This indicates high growth potential for the Korean market in Pingtung, making it a key target for the county's international tourism promotion.

The department noted that during the conference, Korean representatives shared the latest trends in the Korean travel market and humorously introduced the most "challenging" food experiences for Korean tourists in Taiwan, naming stinky tofu and cilantro, which drew laughter from the audience. Additionally, the Korean delegation experienced Kenting's seascape, the vast terrain of the Hengchun Peninsula, and Pingtung's unique natural scenery, expressing admiration along the way and being deeply impressed by southern Taiwan's sunshine and ocean. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150611