Seoul Looks to Italy: ENIT Workshop Strengthens Dialogue with the Korean Market

At the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Workshop Italia 2026 brought together Italian tourism operators, buyers, media representatives and professionals from the Korean tourism sector. At the heart of the event were new business opportunities and an Italian tourism offering increasingly focused on villages, slow tourism, sustainable mobility, culture and quality experiences.

The Korean market continues to show strong interest in Italy as a destination. On 22 September, the ENIT office in Seoul organised Workshop Italia in Seoul 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel, an event dedicated to direct dialogue between the Italian tourism industry and Korean travel professionals.

The day was divided into two sessions: a presentation focusing on the market and Italian tourism products, followed in the afternoon by B2B meetings between Italian operators, buyers and representatives of the Korean media. The aim was to strengthen business relationships, increase awareness of Italian destinations and respond to growing demand for authentic, sustainable experiences spread across the country.

Following the institutional introduction, the event was opened by a welcome address from the Ambassador of Italy to Korea, H.E. Emilia Gatto. During the market briefing, Boyeong Kim from the ENIT office in Seoul presented the evolution of Korean travellers’ behaviour and the growing interest in destinations beyond the traditional art cities.

Korean tourism discovers an increasingly diverse Italy

According to 2025 ISTAT data presented during the event, the Korean market exceeded 1.05 million arrivals, with particularly positive trends also recorded in areas that have traditionally been less associated with major international tourist flows. Among the figures highlighted during the workshop were the increases recorded by Puglia (+105.37%) and Trentino-Alto Adige (+65.79%).

The discussion provided an opportunity to link these trends with some of the main development areas of the Italian tourism offering: Southern Italy and villages, sustainable mobility, culture and the luxury segment. Attention was also given to initiatives aimed at small municipalities and to improving the accessibility and visitor experience of destinations, issues that are becoming increasingly relevant for travellers seeking quality experiences and the discovery of lesser-known destinations.

Ten Italian operators meet the Korean travel trade

The event was attended by 10 leading Italian tourism organisations. Following the morning presentations, the B2B workshop facilitated direct meetings and in-depth discussions between the Italian tourism offering and the Korean market, creating concrete opportunities to develop new products and business partnerships ahead of the upcoming tourism seasons.

Participation exceeds expectations

The event recorded 93 attendees representing 88 professional organisations, including tourism operators, media representatives and airlines, exceeding initial expectations. Strong interest had already emerged during the registration phase: within the first two days after the invitation was sent, registrations had been received from around 60 companies.

Workshop Italia in Seoul is part of ENIT’s strategy to consolidate the presence of the Italy Brand in high-potential international markets, further strengthening Italy’s positioning as a tourism destination in Korea.