International tourists shop in the Myeong-dong commercial district of central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
In a major sign of recovery for East Asia’s corporate travel market, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Friday that it attracted a 5,000-member incentive trip from the Chinese liquor giant Wuliangye Group.
The corporate delegation, consisting of Wuliangye employees and regional distributors, will travel in two consecutive waves of 2,500 people. Departing from Shanghai aboard Adora Cruises, the first group arrived in Korea Thursday, with the second wave scheduled through July 3. The travelers are splitting their itineraries between the southern resort island of Jeju and the southeastern port city of Busan.
The breakthrough is the direct result of a hypertargeted regional strategy.
Recognizing that Sichuan and Guizhou provinces in southwestern China house six of the nation’s top 10 traditional liquor manufacturers, the KTO’s Chengdu branch launched a dedicated campaign focused on the region's prominent spirits conglomerates. Wuliangye, famed for its high-end baijiu, became the primary target.
