South Korea will host a tourism exhibition in the United Arab Emirates this week to try to attract more Middle Eastern visitors, the state-run tourism agency said on Oct. 30, 2018.

The three-day 2018 Korea Culture & Tourism Festival will kick off in the oil-rich capital of Abu Dhabi on Nov. 1, 2018, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).

This file photo, provided by the Korea Tourism Organization, shows visitors at the Korea Medical & Wellness Travel Mart held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Sept. 22 and 23, 2017.

The tourism promotion agency said 19 medical institutions, including Asan Medical Center and Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine, will take part in the event to attract more Middle Eastern patients in need of advanced medical treatment.

Some 3,400 UAE nationals came to South Korea for medical treatment in 2017, spending an average 10.7 million won (US$9,300) per person, more than five times the average 1.9 million won of medical expenses spent by foreigners visiting South Korea, the KTO said.

This year, the festival will also include tourism and cosmetics companies to lure more visitors who are interested in Korean pop culture, the KTO said. (Yonhap)

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