The seminar was held as part of the policy of the Minister of Tourism, Haim Katz, to open new markets, with an emphasis on Asian markets.

Organized by the Israel Government Tourism Office in Seoul, the seminar took place earlier this week at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul, with about 200 prominent leaders from Protestant churches across Korea, including heads of major churches, and key partners from the local tourism industry.

The Korean tourism market is viewed as a potential growth engine, as it was in 2019, with about 60,000 tourists from South Korea visiting Israel, a figure the Ministry of Tourism aims to increase in the coming years.

The seminar opened with greetings from Israel’s Ambassador to Korea, Rafael Harpaz, who thanked the church leaders for their support of Israel and noted that he is in contact with Korean Air, which has expressed interest in resuming flights to Israel.

Noga Sher-Greco, Director of Religious Tourism Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, told participants that Israel is an open and safe country for tourists, with all sites open and operating as usual.

She presented data and trends in religious tourism to Israel, showing the industry’s recovery after the war, and highlighted new initiatives and attractions that have opened in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as significant sites expected to open soon. She also broadcast Pastor Kim’s latest message from the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, a site considered holy by many Protestants who believe it to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion.

During the event, eight Korean travel agencies specializing in pilgrimage tours to Israel held an exhibition, offering participants a variety of travel packages and customized group booking consultations.

Airlines also took part in the event, including Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, and Uzbekistan Airways, which presented their updated flight schedules to Israel and expressed interest in strengthening air connections.

The seminar was preceded by extensive preparation, including a dedicated training webinar initiated by the Israel Government Tourism Office about a month before the event. The webinar provided Korean travel agents with up-to-date information about the situation in Israel. It helped them adapt their tourism packages to the needs of Christian communities wishing to visit the Holy Land.

The Ministry of Tourism continues to strengthen its presence in Asia as part of a strategic approach to expanding Israel’s inbound tourism markets.