TORONTO — A showcase of Korea’s local gems brought more than 200 travel professionals to an event at the Toronto Marriott Markham last night, presented by the Korea Tourism Organization.
Youna Oh, Director for the KTO’s Toronto office, and Hillary Nguyen, Marketing Manager, shared the hosting honours. Attendees heard about luxury, cultural and wellness to Korea, as well as the K-ETA extension.
Canadian visitors to South Korea are exempt from the Korea Electronic Travel Authority (K-ETA) requirement until Dec. 31, 2026. A digital entry arrival card must be submitted three days before travel.
Air Canada’s Deejay Lee and Viktor Spysak with grand prize winner Ravi Kumar and the KTO’s Youna Oh
Korea’s local gems include Chuncheon, Jeonju, Mokpo, Pohang, and Suncheon. Chuncheon, known for its beautiful forests and mountains, draws plenty of visitors with its summer cable car offering stunning views. Nami Island, featured in the hit 2002 K-drama ‘Winter Sonata,’ has hiking trails and nature for days.
Jeonju is a top culinary and cultural destination and Jeonju Hanok Village is the largest urban Hanok Village in the country, showcasing traditional Korean architecture. In Suncheon, Seonamsa Temple was originally built in 529 AD.
The explosion in popularity of K-pop with groups including BTS, Stray Kids and more, along with Korea’s many other pop culture exports, have put this country on the map for a whole new generation of travellers.
Air Canada has direct daily flights to Seoul from Vancouver and Toronto, plus this June the airline will launch 4x weekly flights to Seoul from Montreal as well.
Last night’s event wrapped up with prizes, including Korean silk scarves, a music box and Korean lamps. The grand prize – two airline tickets to Korea, courtesy of Air Canada – went to Ravi Kumar.
For more information about travel to Korea, see VisitKorea.or.kr or email Toronto@knto.ca.
Lead image caption: Hillary Nguyen, Marketing Manager, and Youna Oh, Director, for the KTO’s Toronto office (photo credit Michelle Zimmer)
