Park hosts conference on competitiveness of cultural and tourism industries

South Korean President Park Geun-hye (C) speaks during a conference on strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s cultural and tourism industries held in Seoul on June 17, 2016.

SEOUL, (Yonhap) — President Park Geun-hye on Friday hosted a conference on strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s cultural and tourism industries and pledged to bolster them as part of a government effort to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

The forum on combining the two industries to find fresh growth momentum brought together some 190 people including the ministers of education, justice, culture and transport, as well as industry leaders and students.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said that during the forum the government unveiled its plan to establish a panel on national tourism strategy, which aims to ramp up cooperation among government agencies and related industries.

The government also set a goal of creating 43,000 new jobs through various measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the tourism industry.

Speaking at the forum, Park stressed the importance of creating a “complaint-free environment” to make South Korea a destination that tourists want to visit again.

“Cheap tour packages or taxi swindles will damage visitor satisfaction and hurt the country’s reputation in the tourism industry,” she noted.

Pointing to the hospitality of South Koreans as a crucial factor in tourist satisfaction, Park stressed the need for concerted efforts to reduce unfriendliness and unhygienic facilities.

The chief executive also underscored that the quality of the tour programs is determined by what kind of content they present to the visitors.

“We can gain huge achievements by applying stories in respective regions,” she said.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tour packages at the inter-Korean border are an example of good content that is unique to the divided country, she added.

Park also said the country should capitalize on the tourism industry to generate more jobs and reduce unemployment among the youth.

“Compared with the manufacturing sector, the tourism industry is an area in which we can make a breakthrough in creating good-quality jobs,” she pointed out.

The forum at Cheong Wa Dae had three separate sessions to discuss a range of issues such as tourism promotion, national competitiveness and job creation.