The Corea Image Communication Institute and Cs jointly launched a new group aimed at promoting awareness of Korean culture among foreign visitors at the Grand Hyatt Seoul yesterday.

CICI is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote and advance the global image of Korea, while Cs is a consulting company for the nation’s hospitality industry.

The 5.4 Club co-presidents Choi Jung-wha, president of CICI, and Didier Beltoise, president and CEO of Cs, established the club in order to promote and increase the allure of Korea by creating opportunities for foreign visitors to experience the country using all “five senses” and through the “four roads” to Korean culture.

5.4 Club Co-Presidents Choi Jung-hwa (center) and Didier Beltoise (back row, third from left) pose at the 5.4 Club launch ceremony along with other participating members at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Thursday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

The four roads to Korean culture as defined by the club are: what to see; what to eat and drink; where to have fun and relax; and what to talk about. The members of the club, representing well-known businesses in each sector, have pledged to do their part to provide foreign visitors with the best sights, sounds, smells, tastes and hands-on experiences that they have to offer.

“By combining all these elements, we can provide a more memorable experience for visitors,” said Choi. “This is how we create long-lasting impressions.”

Thus far, more than 70 representatives from various Korean and international corporations, as well as ambassadors and individual members whose businesses correspond to the four roads of culture, have pledged their membership to the 5.4 Club. Some of the participating members include the Seoul Opera Gallery, LG Arts Center, the Seoul Museum, Gastro Tong, Min’s Kitchen, the Grand Hilton Seoul, the W Seoul and many others.

The 5.4 Club, a nonprofit group, was established for the purpose of allowing foreign visitors the unique opportunity to experience Korea’s charms and all that the country has to offer by participating in the four roads recommendations.

In the past several years, the country’s tourism demand has been on a steady rise and is continuing to grow. Last year the Korean tourism industry saw a 16.7 percent increase in foreign visitors, the highest growth of all the OECD nations.

“We all know that to succeed, we need to create an experience,” said Beltoise. “Korea has a lot to offer and has been becoming a destination which is of great interest to Asia as well as to the rest of the world.”

The 5.4 Club receives funding from annual membership fees by the participating members and corporations.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)