The visual tour of airports was inspired by the development of K-culture in the following year

Piggybacking on the global popularity of Korean culture led by K-pop and K-dramas, the Korea Airports Corporation reported on Thursday that it will attract more international travelers next year.

“Welcoming 2023 and 2024 as the Year of Visit Korea, we plan to bring in up to 8.5 million travelers combining K-culture and tourism, 40 percent of pre-pandemic levels,” said Yoon Hyeong-jung, CEO of Korea Airports Corporation in Gimpo. , said during a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Gyeonggi Province.

Visit Korea Year is the government’s tourism promotion plan to attract 30 million international travelers and generate $30 billion in tourism-related spending by 2027.

Of the 14 airports managed by KC, seven international airports, including Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, Daegu and Chungju, will take the lead in creating new flight routes and connecting tourism packages and K-pop concerts, Yoon said.

In particular, Gimha International Airport in South Gyeongsang Province will be used to expand the route to the western regions of America and Europe. KAC intends to provide incentives such as airport charges and landing fees for long-haul airlines.

In a move to win back Chinese tourists, who account for 40-45 percent of its revenue, the company plans to visit Beijing Capital International Airport and other airports to develop its marketing strategy.

“At the same time, we are targeting emerging markets such as Indonesia, where more than half of the population is in their 20s and 30s and are active users of Hallyu content. After establishing direct flights from Jakarta, Daegu International Airport can become a key hub for tourists from Indonesia, Yun said.

KAC is also looking to enter the global urban air mobility business. In cooperation with Daewoo E&C, Samsung C&T, Posco E&C and Hanwha, it is involved in building airspace control system and overseas UAM Vertiports facilities. Vertiports refer to airports that land and take off vertically.

Improving passenger comfort through innovative services is another key goal of the company. KAC is currently offering a “One ID Biopass” service where a passenger can scan pre-registered palm patterns and blood circulation data manually instead of inserting ID cards. In the year By 2024, passengers will be able to purchase items at airport stores using their wrist bio-data.

The company plans to expand its artificial intelligence-supported X-ray system at security checkpoints, which will detect prohibited items faster and more accurately than security personnel. Gimpo International Airport is using the system.

This year, KAC’s inbound and outbound passengers are expected to rise 34 times to 1.56 million from a year ago. By 2023, the figure is expected to rise to 8.54 million.

By Byun Hye-jin (hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)