“Visit Korea” campaigns have happened in 1994, 2001 with mixed success, and now are planned again for 2010-12. But will anything change? Has it?
Tom Coyner breaks down many things wrong with Korean country branding and comes to the same conclusion that I and many other foreigners do: Korean bureaucrats and ego-strapped senior people make up everything from strategy to the slogans in a bubble, without even consulting the very people to whom the campaigns are aimed at, which is a serious problem.
And as Korea launches “Visit Korea Campaign 2010-2012” and Bae Yong-jun has been chosen, for whatever reason, to be the “ambassador” for the campaign, there have been responses from more prominent foreigners about the situation.
One set of suggestions come from David Mason, who suggests another angle on tourism: that of Korea’s religious and spiritual destinations. I didn’t know much about that, and it sounds like pretty interesting stuff to me. I just edited an article submitted to the Korea Journal (don’t know whether it’s been approved yet) talking about the spike in temple stays and how they have unexpectedly become quite successful parts of the tourist industry, or at least have the potential. I do hope it ends up getting approved. It’s interesting stuff.
He also presents a list of much more specific suggestions, and it’s a great start. Too bad nobody ever seems to listen to foreigners with the good advice; for that to happen, the labyrinthine levels of bureaucratic inertia, on top of fear of losing face and an air of authority between each level of the hierarchy, combined with a general air of hubris that keeps whatever organization disconnected from any kind of check with reality — these would all have to disappear.
And those things aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
Until the basic attitude — the disconnect between what Koreans think foreigners should see about Korea and what foreigners actually want to see — is destroyed, the drop in foreign tourists will continue, and Korea will never really go beyond what it is now — a rest stop on the way to or from either China or Japan.
Any other thoughts on the issue? On the off chance that anyone in the big offices over at City Hall might read this, what say you on this topic?
15/10/2008 at 5:48 am Permalink
I live in the US, and even get the KBS news on a broadcast TV channel and have for years.
But it is not subtitled in English, like the French and German news on the same station,
I would like to know what is going on there. I am not Korean and don’t have anyone to translate
Such an obvious waste of an outlet. This has been bothering me for years. That would be worth the expense as a government subsidy . (I actually know who BYJ is but local celebrities will not do the trick.)
15/10/2008 at 9:40 am Permalink
I think Korean tourist board people may also have to consider the economy of the world right now. People are not as willing to take trips further from home, I think. So it is necessary for the tourist board to step it up a little maybe even project how cheap it is here.
15/10/2008 at 10:33 am Permalink
Part of it is the weak global economy.
The other part is that Korea has little of interest to people staying short term. You go to Vegas, you get *ahem* the money in your wallet sucked out *hem* and you go home after being dazzled for three days.
Korea doesn’t sparkle, let alone dazzle. It’s Jersey to Japan’s New York. Canada to the USA. The Wondergirls to any half decent band.
It lacks Zazz! and tourists know that. Korea is the world’s biggest bedroom community. Designed for the comfort of the locals, not to draw in tourists.
15/10/2008 at 3:34 pm Permalink
I prefer it to Japan, fwiw. But then again, maybe my eventual over-familiarity with it shall breed contempt. It’s a lot cheaper here too, and the food is better.
Entirely IMHO of course.
But I do agree there’s a huge disconnect when it comes down the _marketing_ Korea the way it should be. The product itself seems great to me.
21/10/2008 at 2:05 am Permalink
Korean Tourist promotion is amazing – It is beyond such petty dualities of “good” or “bad”, but instead like reaching bad taste nirvana.
Next time we’ll take you with us when we eat it Met, and make you a convert to the cult of 홍어.
21/10/2008 at 2:21 am Permalink
You dare to compare the quasi-religious experience of skate eating with Korean tourism promotion? BLASPHEMY!
It’s ok. Fatman forgives you because we know you haven’t been able to reach our higher plane of understanding. Next time we’ll bring you along, too, Roboseyo, and you’ll finally grok. In the meantime, why aren’t they promoting fermented skate to tourists?
21/10/2008 at 2:40 am Permalink
Umm…because fermented skate smells and tastes like pee pee?
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
21/10/2008 at 11:21 pm Permalink
Only if your urine tastes like pure freakin’ sunshine. Which brings us to the next question . . . how exactly do you know what skate OR pee taste like? Have you been sampling?