Over 40,000 visitors attend K-Tourism Road Show in Paris

More than 40,000 visitors took part in the K-Tourism Road Show held over the weekend in Paris, which promoted Korean tourism in tandem with the Olympic Games beginning in the city next month.

The K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

More than 40,000 visitors took part in the K-Tourism Roadshow held over the weekend in Paris, which promoted Korean tourism in tandem with the Olympic Games beginning in the city next month.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the two-day promotional event took place at Paris' largest shopping mall, the Westfield Forum des Halles. The event featured hands-on experiences providing a peek into the fun available in Korea, especially food and cosmetics.

A K-pop cover dance session, personal color analysis, makeup show and a travel talk session were among the many experiences at the K-Tourism Roadshow. The street food and traditional beverage tasting events were especially popular, according to the Culture Ministry.

There was also a long line to take pictures with hanbok (traditional Korean dress) filters and receive gifts after taking quizzes, the ministry said.

The K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Additionally, the event held an open competition where participants made a short video about why they wanted to visit Korea by using pictures of Korean landscapes, nature, food and more, as well as hand-drawn pictures. Mortellier Swanny, the winner, took home a two-way airplane ticket from Paris to Incheon.

The Culture Ministry will post Korean tourism promotional advertisements in 190 spots around Paris when the Olympics begin. It will also establish The Korea House, a venue providing various Korean events, during The Games.

A total of 133,000 people visited Korea from France last year, up 20 percent from before the Covid-10 pandemic in 2019. The number of French visitors from January to April this year also jumped by 33 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Culture Ministry.

"French people travel around a lot, but not many have experience traveling in Korea, which makes it a market with big growth potential," a ministry official said. "We will spur our marketing strategy in France so that more French people can come to Korea."

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Visitors take part in the two-day K-Tourism Roadshow event held on June 22 and 23 at the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall in Paris. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]