The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) are holding a group travel sales contest as part of the activities of the East Asia Division of the JATA Outbound Tourism Council (JOTC). Following last year, the "30 Best Korean Gourmet Products Contest" will also continue. Currently, over 1,000 people from 11 companies have entered. In addition to awarding outstanding sales representatives, the contest will promote overseas travel to Korea, which has been doing well since the COVID-19 pandemic. At a presentation held on July 11, Honda Toshihiko, chairman of the JOTC Korea Working Group (Director of the Overseas Travel Promotion Department of Nippon Travel Agency), analyzed the current situation, saying, "Travel agency salespeople are reluctant to sell overseas travel, including to Korea," in light of the current situation of the weak yen and rising airfares. While pointing out the lack of experience in tour conductors and training trips due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he expressed his hopes for the success of the sales contest, saying, "We will expand the entire market through new measures." The group campaign covers custom-ordered package tours and arranged tours, including school trips, departing between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. The condition is that one sales representative must send more than two group tours of 10 or more people, and the country will be divided into eight areas, and the top three areas with the most customers sent during the period will be awarded. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2024. "More than 1,000 people from 11 companies have already entered," said Chairman Honda. In addition, the "30 Best Korean Gourmet Products Contest" held last year will be held again. Using ingredients from the 30 Best Korean Gourmets established in 2019, the products will appeal to the charm and food of the regions. The aim is to increase the added value of products and the unit price of sales. Kim Kanmi, director of the Japan Regional Center of the KTO, pointed out that Koreans are making reservations earlier than Japanese people, and called for cooperation to stimulate demand, saying, "The number of Japanese visitors to Korea from January to June was 1.428 million, which is not half of the annual target of 3.3 million."