KTO signs deal with Michelin to publish tour guide
Korea Herald
An MOU between the nation’s tourism authority and Michelin was signed yesterday, sealing the deal to publish the Korean edition of the French tiremaker’s travel guides next year.
Korea Tourism Organization President Lee Charm presided over the signing with chief of Michelin Japan Bernard Delmas at the KTO headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday.
The KTO hopes it will attract further inbound tourism from areas outside of the Asian region through this agreement to publish the Korean edition of the popular travel guide.
“Last year we had about 1 million more visitors than the previous year,” Lee told Delmas.
“But of the total 7.8 million visitors, only 61,000 came from France and I hope the publishing of the green guide will attract more French visitors here.”
Last year, Korea posted a record number of visitors with almost 8 million, but a large chunk of that figure was made up of tourists from China and Japan.
Combined, travelers from the two neighboring countries took up more than 57 percent of the tourism pie.
“Along with Lonely Planet, the Green Guide is one of the most trusted guides for travelers all over,” Lee said.
“Korea is definitely getting on the map and not just the Michelin map but on the world map and people are more and more becoming interested in Korea — not just our products but our culture and history as well as food culture, which is gaining more attention around the world.”
Michelin has covered 52 countries and cities for its guides that are published annually.
The guides rate lodging, restaurants and key sites of the country it features through its popular three-star barometer made popular by its more famous cousin, the Red Guide.
Though the green edition isn’t as stringent in its ratings as its red counterpart the KTO hopes the publication of the green edition will be the initial step in its push to also establish a red one.
The two sides have been mulling that possibility since the talk of creating a Green Guide began early this year.
“Through this signing of the MOU for the Green Guide, we will try to establish an agreement for the Red Guide later this year,” Lee said.
Korea’s first Michelin Green Guide will be available in both English and French, and is set to hit the bookshelves in March 2011 through joint cooperation between the two organizations.
“Korea has always been very important for Michelin in terms of business. The purpose of our guides is basically to facilitate mobility for professionals and travelers in general for them to find a place to stay, eat, and etc,” said Delmas.
“We hope that this guide will enhance the image of Korea all over the world.”
송웅기(kws@heraldm.com)