The Impact of the Hallyu Phenomenon on South Korean Tourism and Outbound Travel from Hungary

Abstract

The phenomenon of Hallyu, also known as the Korean Wave, which represents the global spread and popularization of South Korean culture, has had a significant impact on South Korean tourism. The purpose of this article, among other things, is to explain the concept of Hallyu and its impact on tourism. The authors present first the main elements of the phenomenon, such as Korean pop culture products, beauty care and gastronomy. In this paper, besides describing the concept, the authors plan to present their previous research findings on Hallyu consumers in Hungary, examining their motivations and preferences. Furthermore, they investigated the tourism campaigns of Korea Tourism Agency (KTO) from 2015 to 2024, in which they performed secondary research. Additionally, the results of a primary research will be presented, which measured the travel intentions of the domestic travelling public to South Korea. The survey aimed to answer the question of whether potential travellers are aware of the Hallyu phenomenon and whether their travel to South Korea is influenced by knowledge of Hallyu elements. The purpose of the research is to better understand the interest in Hallyu and its depth among the Hungarian travelling public. In addition, the authors also investigated what travel packages are currently on the market that are aimed at South Korea. They also examined whether the programmes on the market have Hallyu content and the depth of this content. The results show that there is a strong demand for Korean tours among the Hungarian Korean culture enthusiasts. This demand is not or only partially met by the current offers. The authors' results show that consumers have specific needs and attributes that are less well catered for by current services.