Since its launch in March, the 5.4 Club members have been holding regular discussions on the current state of the tourism industry in Korea.

Founded by the Corea Image Communication Institute ― a nonprofit organization that strives to promote and advance the global image of Korea ― and hospitality industry consulting company Cs, the 5.4 Club program has set its sights on promoting tourism as well as awareness of Korean culture among foreign visitors. More than 20 key members of the club met at the Taeroa modern Korean dining restaurant in Seoul on Monday to discuss their concerns and thoughts regarding tourism in Korea.

“In order to encourage the increase in tourism, from a cultural or entertainment perspective, the key is to create something that is very clearly Korean,” said member Mark Chung, president of KCMI. “Something home-baked … where we are creating something that, from the tourism perspective, they are experiencing something uniquely Korean.”

The 5.4 Club co-presidents Choi Jung-wha, president of CICI, and Didier Beltoise, president and CEO of Cs, established the club to expand the image of Korea by creating opportunities for foreign visitors to experience the country using all “five senses” and through the “four roads” to Korean culture.

The four roads are defined as: what to see; what to eat and drink; where to have fun and relax; and what to talk about. The club members have vowed to do their part to provide foreign visitors with the best sights, sounds, smells, tastes and hands-on experiences that their respective businesses have to offer.

One of the issues that was raised at the discussion is the number of festivals that are held in Korea annually; in Seoul alone, it was reported that there were around 150 festivals held last year. However, despite the large number of festivals in the country, the lack of international recognition of many of these annual events is a cause for concern for some of the members.

“One question that I want to leave people with this evening is: ‘Is Seoul known for any festival?’” Beltoise asked. “I think we all know the answer is ‘no.’”

So far, more than 70 representatives from various Korean and international corporations, along with ambassadors and individual business owners have pledged their membership to the 5.4 Club including the Taeroa Restaurant, Seoul Opera Gallery, LG Arts Center, the Seoul Museum and the Grand Hilton Seoul. Since its launch, the 5.4 Club has inducted five new members including the Grand Hyatt Seoul and Lotte Hotels & Resorts.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)