While there are around 60,000 tourists from the Middle East who visit South Korea each year, the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) is aiming to increase the figure by over 66 per cent to reach 100,000 visitors by end of 2012.

In line with this, Made in Korea (MIK 2012), a pioneering exhibition in the Mena region showcasing products, services and technologies from South Korea, will showcase a selection of top tourism destinations and value-added services in South Korea.

GCC countries are particularly important growth markets for South Korea’s tourism industry, led by Saudi Arabia, which witnessed a 52 per cent increase in tourists to Korea during the first six months of 2011 in comparison to the same period in 2010.

UAE’s tourists to Korea also increased by 16.9 per cent during the same timeframe, while the number of Kuwaiti tourists in South Korea was up by 15.7 per cent.
MIK 2012 will run from May 21 to 23 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

“Over the past several years we have witnessed a growing number of South Korean businessmen and investors travelling to the Middle East, taking advantage of the region’s tremendous potential for foreign trade and investment,” said Faisal Al Raisi, managing partner at Ideal Idea Events, organisers of MIK 2012.

“Tourism is another strategically important area of cooperation as it complements the strong economic relations between South Korea and Middle Eastern countries by building goodwill and promoting cultural understanding between the people of both regions.”

“Made in Korea 2012 is therefore strongly committed to cultivate stronger ties among key stakeholders of the tourism industry in South Korea and the Middle East, while creating new channels of cooperation and interaction by providing a dedicated business-to-business networking platform for key players in the tourism industry,” Al Raisi continued.

“Moreover, in cooperation with senior tourism officials and leading travel companies, we have prepared the widest selection of holiday destinations and value-added tourism services that will surely help generate greater interest and consequently increase travel between the Middle East and South Korea,” added Al Raisi.

MIK 2012 will gather at least 300 high-profile Korean exhibitors from a wide range of industries including tourism, automotive, engineering, metal, hospitality, textile, electrical, chemicals, rubber & plastics, power, healthcare, ICT, media, construction, furniture, fashion and even sport.

Representatives from Korean government agencies and regulatory authorities will also be present to meet with their counterparts from various Arab countries. Organisers also expect over 25,000 visitors during the three-day exhibition.

MIK 2012 will also host a series of conferences featuring prominent international speakers from both countries. The event, which will cover 14,000 sq m of exhibition space, will also host various competitions such as a “Poster Design Competition”, and the “Catwalk: Costume Designing Challenge”. – TradeArabia News Service