Direct route set for next year; Israeli travel firms make first visit to Korea
El Al Israel Airlines will launch a direct route between Incheon and Tel Aviv on March 28 next year, the Israel Tourism Office announced Thursday.
The development is expected to mark a significant turning point in tourism exchanges between South Korea and Israel.
The tourism office said it is participating alongside El Al in the 41st Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF), which opened Thursday and runs through June 7 at COEX Hall C in Seoul.
The fair carries added significance as both countries prepare to resume tourism exchanges and strengthen cooperation between their travel industries.
Korean Air previously operated a regular direct service between Incheon and Tel Aviv, but this will be the first time an Israeli carrier has established a scheduled nonstop route to South Korea.
El Al makes passenger safety its top priority and operates one of the world's most rigorous aviation security systems, running a global network connecting major cities across Europe, North America and Asia.
Interest among South Korea's travel industry in operating the new route and developing related products is running high.
The fair has drawn the first-ever visits to Korea by representatives of Israeli inbound travel agencies — Maral Tours Travel Group and Mondarine, a brand under the Tourist Israel group — who are holding business meetings with local travel industry players. The visits go beyond simple tourism promotion: the delegations aim to share market conditions directly with Korean travel firms and discuss potential cooperation and product development ahead of the new direct route's launch.
Maral Tours is an inbound travel agency with more than 30 years of experience operating specialized travel services in Israel and the Middle East, with extensive expertise in pilgrimage tours, group travel, MICE and customized itineraries.
Mondarine is a brand under the Tourist Israel group, which has long sold a wide range of Israeli travel products. It operates themed travel programs combining cultural, historical, culinary and nature experiences — in addition to pilgrimage tours — and provides individual and small-group customized travel services for the global market.
An Israel Tourism Office official said the office decided to join the fair to maintain ongoing contact with South Korea's travel industry and consumers ahead of the new direct route's launch, even as it remains too early to speak of a recovery in tourism demand. "We also want to introduce visitors to the booth — those planning future trips — to Israel's diverse tourism offerings, including Jerusalem, the Galilee, the Dead Sea and the Negev Desert, through the distribution of travel information materials and on-site events," the official added.
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