Tourist board says veganism is on rise
The Korea Tourism Organization is inviting international tourists wanting to experience Asia to break bread in a manner that’s kind to Mother Earth.
The tourist board was represented during the recent VegTO Fest — which promotes vegan cuisine — in Toronto, showcasing vegan options available in a country in which the tourist board concedes has a cuisine that many international travellers don’t generally associate with plant-based dishes.
But KTO Canadian director Jane Kim says veganism is quickly gaining followers in Korea, with many Koreans opting for that lifestyle for health reasons or because they’re concerned about animal welfare or environmental issues.
“Korea is a country where veganism is on rise,” Kim reports. “The Korean government recently unveiled a national plan to promote plant-based foods showing a strong commitment to boosting the plant-based food industry as veganism continues to grow. Korea Tourism Organization partnered with VegTO to host the Encounter Korea Pavilion as an initiative to attract more vegan and vegetarian visitors and let them know about Korea’s vegan-friendly culture and travel options.”
The Encounter Korea Pavilion served festival-goers vegan Korean dishes and festival executive-director Kimberly D’Oliviera joined Kim and Korean diplomats for a pavilion ribbon cutting at the festival’s start.
Reaching out to vegan travellers isn’t new for the tourist board, which distributes a thick brochure detailing vegan restaurants found throughout the Asian nation, and last year held a Toronto event showcasing vegan Korean dishes and also organized a tour to Korea specifically for Toronto vegans.
Nevertheless, Kim acknowledges many Torontonians who stopped by the tourist board’s VegTO Fest booth were surprised by the attention Korea is giving vegan dining. “We conducted a feedback survey and found that many visitors to the pavilion didn’t have much awareness of Korea as a vegan- or vegetarian-friendly destination but learned a lot at the festival, which is fantastic.
“In general, vegan food is still niche but it is growing in popularity, similar to Canada. However, Korean Buddhist temple food has always been vegan and this dates back centuries as a long-standing part of Korean culture and history. Temple food is a great experience for visitors to experience traditional Korean culture as well, whether they are vegan or not. We’re actively promoting Korea as a vegan-friendly destination.”
Kim says Korean cuisine has a lot of vegan-friendly options but travellers should research restaurants and other places to eat before visiting, since many classic Korean dishes have meat or fish sauce. However, many of those dishes can be adapted into vegetarian or vegan options. “Bibimbap (a popular Korean dish that’s generally meat-based) is a great example where meat can easily be swapped for tofu. Temple food of course is already vegan,” she reports
“Of course temple food is a great experience as well, especially for those interested in Korean Buddhist culture. Seoul definitely has the most vegan options since it’s the largest city,” Kim continues.
Meanwhile, Kim reports that having her tourist board attend VegTO Fest definitely enabled her office to make inroads in Toronto’s vegan community.
“The turnout was great.” she states. “It was busy throughout the festival and all of our workshops were completely full. The event was a huge success.
“Going forward, the KTO continues to promote Korea as a tourist destination that welcomes all.”
