South Korea's relationship with the greater Québec City area reaches new heights - YQB to welcome Korean flights this fall

QUÉBEC CITY, May 29, 2023 /CNW/ - Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) and Destination Québec cité (DQc) are pleased to announce that Québec City will be welcoming nearly a thousand additional Korean tourists this fall.

Thanks to a new partnership with Korean tour operator Hanjin Travel Co., Ltd., four direct flights from Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, will land at YQB between September 27 and October 18, 2023. Hanjin Travel Co., Ltd. will charter a 260-seat Boeing 777-300ER from Korean Air for these trips. Passengers will spend three nights in local hotels.

AN ESTABLISHED LOVE STORY

Seven years ago, the Québec City region received an outpouring of love from the South Korean tourism market with the release of the series Goblin: The Lonely and Great God (도깨비). To Koreans, it was love at first sight for the destination; the red door of the Théâtre le Petit Champlain and the mailbox of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac quickly became some of their most photographed landmarks.

In this way, the hit series, which was filmed in Québec City in the fall of 2016 and broadcast in 2017, remains an important showcase for Québec City in Asia and beyond. To date, the series has been viewed an estimated 2.9 billion times; its intro, which features several images of Québec City, has also broken a record with more than 433 million views.

Thanks to this show, the region has since played host to several South Korean film shoots and other media activities. The most recent, which was broadcast on the KBS channel last November, has reached over 3 million viewers so far.

The series also led to a close partnership with the Québec Government Bureau in Seoul, which installed a replica of the famous red door as part of a promotion for Goblin's fifth anniversary.

A LUCRATIVE PARTNERSHIP

Based on various data on Koreans' average tourism spending in Québec, the partnership with Korean tour operator Hanjin Travel Co., Ltd. is expected to generate over $1 million in economic spinoffs for the Québec City region alone.

QUOTES

"Today's announcement fully aligns with the objectives we've set ourselves. We're committed to seizing every opportunity to develop our air service and generate growth for the benefit of the region. Together with our partners in the tourism industry, we've pooled our resources and our energies, and now we're reaping the rewards of this extraordinary collaboration. We are extremely proud to be welcoming over a thousand Korean travellers this fall as the direct gateway to the national capital and the province as a whole."
— Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of YQB

"Québec City's tourism industry had a front-row seat to the outpouring of love for Québec that started as soon as Goblin was released, which allowed us to welcome many South Korean visitors. This is why it was so important for us to maintain and strengthen this bond by remaining visible to the Korean market in several ways: participating in missions in collaboration with the Québec Government Bureau in Seoul, implementing content marketing promotional campaigns, and bringing on a strong cultural ambassador (Steve Barakatt). Destination Québec cité would like to thank all its partners, including Destination Canada, the Québec City Airport, the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, and the Québec Government Bureau in Seoul, to name but a few, for helping to make this wonderful opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with the South Korean market come to life. To all future visitors aboard those flights, we extend a warm welcome and promise to provide a memorable sightseeing experience."
— Robert Mercure, Director of Destination Québec cité

"South Korea is one of the emerging markets that our government is targeting to bring more foreign tourists to Québec. Our Capitale-Nationale, with its longstanding reputation for hospitality, has a lot to offer guests from here and around the world. Visits from these tourists will help grow our industry and boost the economic benefits from tourism for Québec. We will continue working with our partners to encourage these kinds of initiatives, which are a boon for our tourism industry. It's an outstanding collaboration."
— Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Lanaudière region

"Québec City continues to be a leader as a must-see tourist destination in North America. We will continue to develop important links like these with our Korean partners. Our visitors will get to enjoy one of the warmest welcomes in the world and delight in our uniqueness, our heritage, and our traditions. Our commitment to providing you with a memorable tourism experience remains unchanged. Welcome to our home!"
— Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Québec City

"As Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Quebec, I am delighted with the creation of charter flights between Seoul and the Old Capital. In recent years, Québec City has become a very popular destination for Koreans wishing to enjoy its vibrant culture and enchanting natural environment. These flights will undoubtedly strengthen the bonds of friendship that already unite Quebecers and Koreans, as well as their economic prosperity for years to come."
— Jae Wan Lee, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Quebec 

"I am thrilled with the launch of the first-ever chartered flights to Québec City from South Korea this fall. Québec City is one of the top destinations that South Korean travellers wish to travel to in Canada and they will be able to enjoy what Québec has to offer a lot more easily with these direct flights and Québec-only products. The success of the Korean drama filmed in Québec City led to this amazing event and I look forward to this leading to further business opportunities in the future."
— Anna Lee, General Manager, Destination Canada GSA Korea

About Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)

YQB is managed by Aéroport de Québec Inc., a private corporation responsible for the airport's management, operation, maintenance, and development since November 1, 2000. Around a dozen carriers offer flights from YQB to destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe, and daily flights to the main hubs in eastern North America.

About Destination Québec cité

Destination Québec cité has over 825 members spread across a territory that includes Québec City, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Wendake, and the surrounding areas of Portneuf, La Jacques-Cartier, Île d'Orléans, and Côte-de-Beaupré.

Learn more: https://www.quebec-cite.com/en

SOURCE Aéroport de Québec

Source: Étienne Cummings, Manager, Public Affairs and Community Relations, Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Phone: [phone], ext. 2626, [email protected]; Jenna Dubé, Communications Advisor, Public Relations, Destination Québec cité, Phone: [phone], [email protected]