With the passing of – “H.E. Mr. Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of
the Workers’ Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission
of the DPRK and Supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army” in North
Korea (to address him with his full title thus reflecting the
responsibilities that will now pass to the young incumbent), I have been
getting a number of calls and questions as to how this may effect the
general situation on the South Korean peninsula?
The world waits
with bated breath to see how events in Pyongyang will unfold in the
future and to find out the ramifications for tourism, including business
tourism, on the southern peninsula.
There is an opportunity of
heralding in a new era of tourism potential with the possibility of new
links between South and North Korea and the re-establishing of old
links.
These old links (that were closed after diplomatic ties
cooled and indeed remain, technically, in a state of war) included a
cruise from port of Sockcho in South Korea to the Northern end of the
‘Geumgangsan’ mountain range that straddles both countries and which is
an area of outstanding natural beauty.
And, most recently,
tourists could take a coach tour from Seoul to Gaesong City, which lies
beyond the Korean DMZ (demilitarised zone). Once the capital of the
Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918 -1392), Gaesong offers tombs, temples and
breathtaking scenery. This tour was run by Hyundai Asan Corp and at one
point was touted as an incentive idea to complement South
Korea’s blossoming MICE industry.
The Korean peninsula is so
extremely diverse and, with changes taking place in the North, this could
be a captivating proposition for both leisure and business travel. All
dependent, however, on whether that step is back to the future!
Any comments? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
