The Korea Tourism Organization has launched a marketing campaign to transform the K-culture trend in France into actual visits to Korea, partnering with renowned local cultural spaces.
To celebrate the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, the organization hosted the 2026 France B2B Travel Mart in Paris and Lyon on June 10 and 11, aiming to boost tourism to Korea.
The event was designed to convert the growing popularity of K-culture in France into real travel experiences. The organization collaborated with 11 Korean entities, including local governments, travel agencies, and airlines, to build connections with the French travel industry in Paris and Lyon, a key southeastern hub.
Lyon, France’s second-largest economic center and a crucial transportation hub in the central-south region, was chosen strategically to expand Korea’s tourism marketing beyond the capital area and diversify the buyer base across major French cities.
In Paris, the event kicked off at the National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet, Europe’s largest museum dedicated to Asian art. This venue choice amplified promotional efforts by tying in with the museum’s special exhibitions celebrating the diplomatic anniversary: K-Beauty: The Beauty of Korea and Silla: Gold and Sacredness.
These exhibitions have been a hit among local art enthusiasts and visitors, effectively bridging cultural interest with actual travel intentions to Korea.
Juliette Morillot, a renowned French author and Korea expert with 30 years of study, guided visitors through the exhibitions. The event also featured Korean cuisine tastings and K-beauty experiences like skin consultations, offering a multi-sensory Korean cultural immersion.
The two-day event focused on tailored business meetings between Korean and French industry players. In Paris, pre-matched buyer-seller meetings were arranged, while Lyon used a stamp rally format, encouraging buyers to visit multiple consultation booths, boosting engagement.
During the Korea Tourism presentation, the organization’s Paris office shared product support plans and joint marketing strategies. A highlight was the appearance of Parisian 2nd Generation, a popular Korean-French YouTuber, who shared insights on Korea’s appeal from a French perspective.
Jeong Sun-hwa, director of the Korea Tourism Organization’s Paris office, emphasized leveraging the 140th anniversary of Korea-France relations to strengthen industry connections. She expressed confidence that the approximately 160 consultations from this Travel Mart would lead to exciting new Korean travel products and stimulate growth in European tourism to Korea.