Koreans love to travel. So, it is no coincidence that almost every Korean dreams of traveling to Europe at some point in his or her life. Once Koreans are on a trip, they “explore” the destinations in their typically Korean way: many countries in as short a time as possible and in a large travel group. It goes without saying that Switzerland is not to be missed on this tour. This was the case at least until the days before Corona.
Today I met Se A Park 박세아 (34) from Korea, who has been doing her bit for three years to make the area around the Titlis and Luzern Interlaken Express (Zentralbahn) a little better known here in Korea.
Se A, what exactly is your job?
I am the foreign representative of the two Swiss companies Titlis and Zentralbahn. Overall, I look after the Korean market. Mainly, I secure travel programs and give travel agencies exact information about our Swiss destination including hotels and tickets. I have relationships with big, small, or potential travel agencies. Sometimes I make online content like a newsletter for public relations. Moreover, I find business opportunities for marketing collaborations with our partners. Along with marketing, organizing sales visits is part of my work as well.
How did you get this job?
It was probably more by chance. I worked in the marketing department for the Olympic Winter Games, which were held in Pyeongchang in 2018.
While preparing for international sports events, I was gaining various experiences by working with global companies. One day, a colleague drew my attention to a job opening for a Swiss company that was looking for a representative in Korea for a tourist region. She said that I would probably be a suitable candidate and I should apply.
So, you applied immediately?
At that time, I was still employed by the 2018 Winter Olympics. But I was very interested in the advertised position. I thought about it for few weeks and then contacted the people in charge and applied for the job.
How do you apply to a company that is almost 9,000 kilometers away?
Besides submitting the written application, there was also an intensive and active exchange with the company. It then took about six months until I was invited to Switzerland for an interview.
Your first trip to Switzerland?
Yes, that was my first trip to Switzerland. But I wasn’t quite sure at the time whether it would be a good idea or not. At that time, I had almost no idea about Switzerland…
It felt as if I had always lived in Switzerland.
Se A Park 박세아
What was your first impression of Switzerland?
It was a very special, almost eerie feeling. I felt very comfortable and familiar with the new environment from the very beginning. The greenery, the hills, and mountains, pure nature. It felt as if I had always lived in Switzerland.
You must have enjoyed Swiss cuisine during your trip to Switzerland? Is there anything you particularly like?
Most Koreans know that a famous Swiss food is Cheese Fondue or Raclette, but I highly recommend trying “Älplermakronen”. As you know, it’s a swiss alpine macaroni. I love eating local food when I go on trips. Älplermakronen is a hearty alpine food. I personally prefer to put lots of caramelized onions on the top! Also, don’t forget the dark beer.
And how did your interview go?
We didn’t have a typical interview. For two days the staff and management introduced me to the premises and my future employer. I was very impressed by how the employees work in this Swiss company. You feel like you are part of a big family. It is very important to the company that the employees feel comfortable in their working environment. This kind of company culture is very rare in Korea – if at all – and was new to me. At the end of my trip, I was offered the job and was able to start after the Winter Olympics in April 2018.
Back in Korea again. What was your biggest challenge initially?
When I started this job, I was on my own. This was very unusual and stressful for me at the beginning because I had no experience working alone until then. But the two companies in Switzerland supported me professionally and helped me through the process of building my knowledge about Swiss culture and the tourism industry. This helped me cheer up for my work. At that time, even though I had an understanding of the travel market in Korea, I had to familiarize myself with the new area. As time went by, I got to know people who work in this industry in Korea and gradually became able to build up knowledge. I think everyone I met was like a mentor to me. It was a fortune.
Do people see you in Switzerland more often now?
I go to Switzerland at least once a year for some projects, and there is a representative meeting once every two years. That’s when all the foreign representatives get together for a meeting. We develop our product and think of how we can make better destinations including hotels, attractions, and travel experiences that attract visitors all around the world. Thanks to those meetings, representatives from each country can discuss many ideas. Also, I can make opportunities for influencers to go to my destination to make good Switzerland content as a side project.
And then came Covid-19. What happens now?
Since the beginning of 2020, there have not been any more meetings and trips to Switzerland for me. This has a direct impact on my work. Many of my direct customer contacts with the big Korean tour operators have been greatly reduced. Basically, we can only meet “online.” Exchanging information and maintaining contact has become more demanding. In addition, many tour operators have scaled down their activities or have had to go out of business. I hope and am confident that things will pick up again by spring 2022 at the latest.
Will things continue in the same vein then?
The pandemic has certainly triggered a rethink. I personally think that initially there will be a big rush to travel to Europe, to Switzerland. But this will soon level off again, but at a different level than before Covid.
Since the 1980s, many Asians often travel to Europe in the same pattern and style. Since the number of holiday days is often very short, they usually book a 10-day trip to Europe. There is also a massive urge to visit as many well-known tourist destinations as possible, such as Paris, Rome, Barcelona, or Switzerland. And once the trip has begun, it’s often a case of getting off the bus, taking photos, getting back on the bus, and on to the next attraction. This is how you cross country after country in a bus, usually in just one day. With this kind of travel, the tourists are usually only consumers. They never really meet the people and therefore don’t get a deeper understanding of their culture.
However, I can well imagine that travel behavior will change. The trend will probably be more towards themed trips. In addition, it may well be that in the future you will only visit two or three countries on a 10-day trip to Europe. The motto will be: get out into nature, discover the surroundings more intensively and relax all your senses.
Se A, thank you for letting us talk about your job and we hope that you can continue to inspire many Koreans to come to Switzerland.
