The government-owned Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC) – parent company of Jeju Duty Free – has won a Gold Prize at the recent Asia Tourism Marketing Festival, for its success in attracting Chinese visitors through its highly effective marketing efforts.
JDC subsidiary, Jeju Duty Free operates at Jeju International Airport, the second largest airport in South Korea, behind Incheon International Airport.
The company offers liquor and tobacco, perfume and cosmetics, watches, luggage and leathergoods, accessories, sunglasses, confectionery, ginseng, stationery and toys. Apparently Jeju Duty Free lists over 10,000 items in total from 190 different brands.
The JDC entity aims to promote tourism, elevate the public image of Jeju and attact both domestic and foreign investment for business, public relations and marketing activities.
JDC executives receive the gold prize for the company’s effective marketing efforts.
Operating according to the South Korean government’s Special Act on Jeju Free International City, the corporation is affiliated with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation.
On 11 June, JDC picked up the gold prize at the Asia Tourism Marketing Festival.
JDC says that the company’s duty free shops make a concerted effort to offer customers a variety of activities and promotions, every season which has seen Jeju Duty Free obtain a high evaluation by ATMF.
Attracting Chinese visitors to Jeju and into its duty free shops is of paramount importance to JDC, a Marketing Manager said.
Jeju International Airport already benefits from healthy passenger traffic and in fact in the past has suffered from congestion, which has prevented some retail expansion.
According to Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), JDC’s Domestic Terminal store, which covers almost 3,000sq m, recorded sales of KRW.338bn ($310m) in 2013.