“Gyeonggi Province, a Region Rich in Tourism Resources!”
Createdd 2012-11-27 Hit 544
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“Gyeonggi Province, a Region Rich in Tourism Resources!”
(Published November 09, 2012)
10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart held at KINTEX from November 8 to 11
Ambassadors from forty-three countries attend World Fashion Show
◇ Opening ceremony of the 10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart held on November 8 in the 1st Exhibition, 2nd Hall Lobby of KINTEX in Goyang City ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
The 10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart opened on November 8, 2012.
The 10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart (GITM) held its opening ceremony on November 8th at the 1st Exhibition, 2nd Hall Lobby of KINTEX in Goyang City, and continued until the 11th. GITM was themed around the concept of healing the mind and body.
Those attending the opening ceremony, held at 11 am on November 8, included Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairperson Yun Wha-sub, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization President Hwang Jun-ki, KOTRA President Ju Hwa-jung, forty-three foreign ambassadors and their families; Goyang City Mayor Choi Seong, Pocheon City Mayor Seo Jang-won, Ministry of Culture – Tourism Division Director Shin Yong-Eon, personnel from foreign tourism offices stationed in Korea and some 300 other guest.
At the opening ceremony, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo gave a short speech, while the forty-three foreign ambassadors marked the occasion by wearing hanbok (Korean traditional clothing). The foreign ambassadors gave an impromptu fashion parade along a runway wearing hanbok during the World Fashion Festival, held at 2 pm on the same day.
In his opening speech, Governor Kim stated, “We are very grateful that so many of you took the time to attend this event. Gyeonggi is a province rich in tourism resources,” adding, “Gyeonggi Province is gradually acquiring an international standing through tourism exhibitions such as this one, which is already in its 10th year, and we will work hard to establish Gyeonggi Province as a destination that attracts many visitors from all over the world.”
The theme of the tourism exhibition centered on ‘healing.’ Domestic and international tourism sites related to the environment, healing, beauty, convalescence, and medical services were represented, and simple activities or experiences were offered at each booth, with small gifts distributed to the participants.
◇ Governor Kim Moon-soo delivering his opening speech ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
◇ Visitors enjoying various displays at the exhibition ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
The exhibition was principally divided into the Travel Product Center, Exhibition Promotion Center, and Education & Experience Travel Center.
In the Travel Product Center, where many of the large domestic travel agencies set up their booths, visitors could access information about a wide variety of domestic and international travel products and make purchases at special discounted prices. In addition, specialized domestic and international travel products, such as travel packages coupled with education programs or volunteer works geared towards the winter vacation, were introduced and consultations with travel advisors were available on site.
In the Exhibition Promotion Center, in which some thirty countries were represented, tourism information about Korea and international destinations as well as famous tourist attractions was available. Participating countries from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa introduced a diverse range of travel experiences from luxury travel and cruises to trekking, exploration, spa destinations, and tours of historic sites.
At the Education & Experience Travel Center, visitors could experience the charm of the countryside at the Farm Village Experience Pavilion, explore the possibilities offered by sky, earth and marine tourism at the Leisure Sports Experience Pavilion, and find out all about camping tours, an increasingly popular mode of travel, at the Camping Travel Experience Pavilion.
On the opening day, the World Fashion Festival, featuring some 100 people including the foreign ambassadors and their wives, was held at 2pm on the main stage. During the first part of the event, the participants walked along a runway modeling hanbok, while in the second part of the show, the participants wore the traditional clothes of their respective countries, creating a unique fashion show. It was interesting to note that the models looked far more relaxed wearing clothes from their own countries than they did when they modeled the hanbok.
◇ Governor Kim Moon-soo trying out various traditional instruments from other countries ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
◇ “World Fashion Show” held on the main stage of the exhibition at 2 pm on November 8th ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
One spectator named Choi Byeong-uk (Pocheon, 38) who watched the fashion show said, “Even to a person like me with no knowledge of fashion, the hanbok looked so graceful.” Choi added, “The catwalk parade was beautiful. Each of the traditional outfits from the different countries was so unique and it was great to see them all on the same stage. Also, I heard that the people modeling were all foreign embassy personnel. I feel like this event has boosted our national prestige. I enjoyed everything as if I were a little kid.”
Another visitor, Lee Bok-sun (Pyeongtaek, 48), said, “Our women’s association came as a group. This is the first time we have come to such an event and everyone’s excited because they are giving away gifts at the booths.” She went on to say, “Personally, with my frozen shoulders, I am most interested in healing. We are planning a family vacation this winter and I am happy that I can get a lot of information here.”
The 10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart was open from 10 am until 5 pm until November 11. The shows on the main stage included the World Fashion Festival (November 8), followed by traditional dances of the Philippines and Indonesia; and a children’s drawing contest award ceremony and Pocheon Performing Arts Company (November 10).
The exhibition’s closing ceremony, held from 5pm to 6pm on November 11, included a performance of seonban samulnori by Gwangju City Hall, followed by a performance by the Pocheon Performing Arts Company and traditional dances from the Philippines and Ethiopia.
The Gyeonggi International Travel Mart, sponsored by Gyeonggi Province and hosted by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, attract about 100,000 visitors every year. Admission is free. For more information, please visit the official homepage at www.gitm.or.kr
◇ Families of the foreign ambassadors wearing hanbok. ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
◇ Sculpture at the entrance of the 10th Gyeonggi International Travel Mart. ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
◇ Leisure event hall next to the main stage. ⓒ G-News Plus / Heo Seon-ryang
ⓒ G-News Plus News / Im Se-jeen sejeenee@kg21.net
http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201211091248577055C049&s_code=C049
