Lotte Hotel president and chief executive Song Yong-dok received a top tourism industry award for enhancing the national brand image of Korea by opening the first Korean brand hotel in Moscow.

Song was granted the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit at the annual Tourism Day Ceremony on Thursday in Seoul.

Song was named the CEO of Lotte Hotel in February in recognition of his achievements in getting Lotte Hotel Moscow in a stable position within a year and a half of its opening. Lotte Hotel Moscow was founded in 2010.

The Ministry also awarded CEO of Chess Tours Kim Young-gyu the Silver Tower Order for being the leading travel agency attracting foreign tourists for 13 years; director of Korean Air Choi Eun-joo the Bronze Tower Order for improving customer services through its special one-stop travel service; and Incheon Tourism Association president Choi Dong-chul the Steel Tower Order for promoting Incheon as a travel destination.

Grand Korea Leisure, a subsidiary of The Korea Tourism Organization, received the Tourism Promotion Tower Order for earning foreign currency. GKL operates Seven Luck Casino, a foreigners-exclusive casino in Korea.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)