On March 21, 2025, a joint seminar titled “2025 Korea Tourism Brand Equity Evaluation” was held at the International Conference Room on the 16th floor of the Korea Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul.

The seminar was co-hosted by Yanolja Research, Purdue University’s CHRIBA, Kyung Hee University Center for H&T Analytics, and the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea, and was organized to assess the current state of Korea's tourism brand equity and explore strategic directions for its future development.

The seminar began with welcome remarks from Dr. SooCheong (Shawn) Jang, Director of Yanolja Research and Professor at Purdue University, and Dr. Wonseok Seo, President of the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea and Professor at Kyung Hee University's College of Hotel & Tourism Management.

Following the opening, presentations were delivered on the development of a tourism brand equity evaluation model and the results of a data-driven analysis based on social media content. The seminar was smoothly moderated by Hyowon Yoon, Senior Researcher at Yanolja Research.

Presentation Session

Keynote 1 | Developing a Brand Equity Model for Korea Tourism

Presenter: Dr. SooCheong Jang (Director, Yanolja Research / Professor, Purdue University)
→ Introduced a structured model designed to measure Korea’s tourism brand equity, including its theoretical framework and development process.

Keynote 2 | 2025 Korea Tourism Brand Equity Evaluation Results

Presenter: Dr. Kyuwan Choi (Professor, Kyung Hee University / Director, H&T Analytics Center)
→ Shared key findings and insights from the 2025 brand equity evaluation based on social media data analysis.

Panel Discussion

Following the presentations, a panel discussion was held under the moderation of Dr. Wonseok Seo. Experts from various fields—including tourism, data analytics, policy, and marketing—engaged in in-depth dialogue on how to enhance Korea’s global tourism brand competitiveness.

Panelists:

Prof. Sanghyuk Kim (Gachon University, College of Business)

Mr. Chulwoong Lee (CMO, Nol Universe)

Ms. Heeja Ahn (Leader, Tourism Policy Research Division, Korea Culture & Tourism Institute)

Ms. Eunhee Kim (CEO, Raon Data & Consulting)

Mr. Youngil Park (Director, DXentric)