Performances positioned as a travel destination in their own right
AI subtitle glasses break down language barriers
Promotional marketing tied to show attendance
Hands-on experiences with cast members debut for the first time
A new audience-participation program spanning nonverbal performances and musicals is set to launch to attract foreign tourists, paired with a fresh performance-tourism model combining AI smart subtitle glasses with online and offline showcases.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, together with the Korea Performance Tourism Association, will run a performance-tourism campaign called "Korea In Motion" targeting foreign visitors from Friday through Nov. 30. The campaign was designed to promote performances as a tourism product that travelers can enjoy during their stay in South Korea.
During the campaign period, the organizers will run a special performance-tourism promotion with online travel agencies targeting key inbound markets including China, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. The promotion will feature nonverbal shows — performances that convey stories through movement, sound and music without dialogue — as well as productions with spoken lines that foreign visitors can follow with AI smart subtitle glasses.
The Korea Tourism Organization is also partnering with production companies to offer special hands-on experiences for the first time. After "Painters," audience members can learn marbling art techniques alongside cast members and create their own keepsakes. "Nanta" will offer a chance to make a prop-inspired souvenir from the show, while "Jump" will feature a taekwondo session and "Yeongjae Haneumhoe" will offer a traditional Korean instrument experience.
Highlight showcases from campaign productions — including "Anarchist" and "Finding Mr. Destiny" — will be staged at the outdoor plaza of Hiker Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday and again Oct. 24 and 25. Pop-up booths will also operate at Hiker Ground and around the Daehangno area through Oct. 29, offering performance information, events tied to the online travel agency promotion, and hands-on demonstrations of the AI smart subtitle glasses.
Baek Man-seong, head of the Korea Tourism Organization's hallyu content team, said the campaign was prepared "to improve accessibility so that foreign tourists can enjoy Korean performances without a language barrier, and to comprehensively promote experience products linked to show attendance." He added that the organization would "strengthen promotional marketing so that Korean performances go beyond being an attractive stop during a trip and become a new reason and purpose for visiting Korea in their own right."
terry@heraldcorp.com
