SOUTH KOREA: Company Brings 420 Agents To The Country Following MERS Outbreak

GTA is hosting a mega-fam trip to South Korea, in an effort to help the country’s tourism industry recover from the recent MERS outbreak.

The company has teamed up with the Visit Korea Committee and Seoul Metropolitan Government to bring 420 Asian travel professionals to the country. The attendees come from GTA’s partner agencies in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand.

“Since the MERS-free announcement on 28th July, it’s time to remind the world’s travellers of all they are missing here. Travel agents can be powerful advocates and spokespeople for a destination in a way that websites can never be, so we are delighted to be playing such a significant part in this initiative,” said Cyndi Ng, GTA’s head of strategic partnerships & market development for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

“Our strong network and long-standing relationships in South Korea’s key source markets make us a preferred partner to help hotels and destinations recover and welcome the return of visitors from around the world.”

The mega-fam trip has been timed to coincide with the 2015 Seoul International Travel Mart, which takes place this week. GTA is also running a ‘Korea Grand Sale’ with Visit Korea Committee, which offers agents 50% off 11 selected hotels in the country and other benefits.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, South Korea saw a 41% decline in visitor numbers in June, following the MERS outbreak in late May.