Hana Tour Co., South Korea’s No. 1 tour agency, opens SM Duty Free store in downtown Seoul, on Feb. 15, 2016. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – Hana Tour Co., South Korea’s leading tour agency, opened a duty-free store in downtown Seoul on Monday, hoping to draw foreign travelers with a variety of cultural and entertainment events.
Hana Tour partially opened SM Duty Free store at its headquarters building in Insadong, an art and antique street in downtown Seoul, in a space spanning 10,000 square meters over seven floors.
Half of stores are local brands composed of Korean cosmetics, traditional food and craftworks, while negotiations are currently underway to host global luxury brands later this year.
“We plan to open high-end brands on the first floor… around September,” Park Chan-hyun, a senior official at SM Duty Free, said in an opening ceremony.’
The company said it will conduct a variety of cultural and entertainment events with K-pop stars and celebrities to draw more shoppers and work with local shops to boost tourism. Insadong has many art galleries and small shops in side alleys that sell antiques and handicrafts.
It is Hana Tour’s second duty-free outlet following one at the Incheon International Airport as it has stepped up efforts to expand its retail business using its global tourism network.
(Yonhap)
