Korea Tourism Organization Brings Largest-Ever B2B Travel Roadshow to San Francisco, Redefining Korea Beyond K-Pop

“Beyond K-Culture: Travel & Experience Korea” Gathers 150 Industry Leaders at San Francisco Asian Art Museum

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, April 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Los Angeles Office today hosted Beyond K-Culture: Travel & Experience Korea, its largest B2B travel roadshow ever held in the San Francisco Bay Area, drawing approximately 150 travel industry professionals from both Korea and the United States to the landmark San Francisco Asian Art Museum.

The full-day event — the biggest B2B gathering KTO LA has organized in the San Francisco region — brought together 14 Korean travel agencies and institutions alongside 14 U.S.-based wholesale travel agencies and meeting planners for pre-matched one-on-one business consultations, industry workshops, and an immersive evening showcase of Korea’s latest tourism offerings.

A New Chapter for Korean Tourism
The roadshow signals a strategic shift in how Korea positions itself to American travelers — moving beyond the K-pop and K-drama wave to spotlight Korea’s regional destinations, medical wellness tourism, culinary experiences, and culturally rich travel itineraries designed for the high-end FIT (Free Independent Traveler) market.

“San Francisco has always been a gateway — a city that embraces what’s next. Korea is no longer just a trend; it’s a destination with depth, diversity, and a story that goes far beyond what most Americans have seen. Today, we brought that story directly to the people who shape how Americans travel — and the conversations we had here will turn into real journeys to Korea.”
— Heo Hyun, Director, Korea Tourism Organization Los Angeles Office

Program Highlights
The full-day event featured three core components:
● Korea-U.S. B2B Travel Mart (1:30–4:00 PM): Pre-scheduled, one-on-one business consultations between Korean DMCs/RTOs and U.S. travel buyers, with targets of 150 consultations and 10 contract agreements.
● Visit Korea Workshop (4:00–5:00 PM): Presentations by Gangwon Tourism Foundation, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air Premia, Delta Air Lines, and Air Canada, spotlighting Korea’s latest regional destinations and flight connectivity.
● Beyond K-Culture Evening Program (6:00–8:00 PM): Korea tourism presentations, a special keynote lecture, live cultural performances, and an industry networking dinner.

Standout Feature: Stanford Brain Science Meets K-Wellness
One of the evening’s headline moments was a keynote address by Professor Jinhyung Lee of Stanford University’s Schools of Medicine and Engineering, who presented on the neuroscience behind K-wellness and medical tourism — making the case for Korea as a premier destination for Silicon Valley’s high-achieving, burnout-prone professionals.

Prof. Lee, a 2012 NIH New Innovator Award recipient and founder of brain-circuit analytics startup LVIS, framed Korea’s wellness and medical tourism offerings through the lens of neuroplasticity and cognitive optimization — a first-of-its-kind positioning for inbound Korea tourism marketing in the United States.

Cultural Experiences & Live Performances
Attendees experienced a curated taste of Korean culture through K-beauty personal color consultations, Korean traditional beverage pairings, and customized regional destination surveys. The evening featured live performances by soprano Joanna Kim — a rising star in international opera with multiple award-winning competition credentials — and gayageum artist Lee Jeonghwa, a National Gugak Center award winner known for bridging traditional and contemporary Korean music for global audiences.

“The travel industry doesn’t move on impressions — it moves on relationships and product. That’s exactly what today was built for. With 150 consultations on the floor and partners from both sides of the Pacific in the same room, we’re not just promoting Korea. We’re building the infrastructure that gets Americans on a plane to Seoul — and beyond.”
— Heo Hyun, Director, Korea Tourism Organization Los Angeles Office

About Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)
Korea Tourism Organization is the official government agency dedicated to promoting Korea as a premier global travel destination. The KTO Los Angeles Office covers the Western United States and partners with the U.S. travel trade to develop and distribute Korea travel products. For more information, visit visitkorea.or.kr.

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