KOREA ISSUES GUIDEBOOK FOR MUSLIM TOURISTS

Seoul, 29 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/20 January 2015 (MINA) – The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) issued a guidebook for local travel agents Monday to help them attract Muslim tourists.

The book mainly explains the dos and don’ts when it comes to serving Muslims at restaurants, hotels and hospitals. It also contains information about their culture and the importance of the growing Muslim travel market.

The KTO plans to give out 300 books for free to those who need them. In March, it will also hold a special program where travel agents can learn about Muslim culture and its market through lectures by experts, koreatimes quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The book comes just one month after the KTO issued another guidebook on halal restaurants for Muslim tourists. Written in English, “Muslim Friendly Restaurants in Korea” introduces 118 restaurants across the country.

Last year, 624,000 people from Islamic countries visited Korea, accounting for 5.1 percent of total visitors.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is an organization of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is commissioned to promote the country’s tourism industry.

The KTO was established in 1962 as a government-invested corporation responsible for the South Korean tourism industry according to the International Tourism Corporation Act. The organization promotes Korea as a tourist destination to attract foreign tourists. Starting in the 1980s, domestic tourism promotion also became a function of the KTO.

Inbound visitors totaled over 6 million in 2006 and the tourism industry is said to be one of the factors that has some influence on the Korean economy.(T/P009/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)