Korea Association of Travel Agents and VFS Global partner to promote travel to South Korea.
In order to promote inbound tourism to the Republic of Korea and enable smooth international travel to the nation, VFS Global and the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) have decided to work together. On January 9, 2026, the KATA office in Seoul hosted a meeting to discuss cooperative measures. Lee Jin-seok, Chairman of KATA; Choo Shin-kang, Chair of the International Cooperation Committee; Kim Sung-soo, Director and CEO of KCCT Company; Wang Deok-shin, Director and CEO of Hoin Travel; and representatives from VFS Global, including Dilliprasad Joshi, Deputy CFO; Kishen Singh, COO-China; Atul Lall, Regional Head for North Asia; and Kim Eun-hye, Country Manager for South Korea.
During the discussion, both groups shared their perspectives on facilitating visas and decided to use their networks to help Korea’s inbound tourist industry flourish while maintaining close cooperation moving forward. “We welcome this collaboration with VFS Global as an important step towards strengthening inbound tourism to the Republic of Korea,” stated Lee Jin-seok, Chairman of KATA, in a statement regarding the partnership. We hope to improve accessibility, assist international travel partners, and solidify Korea as a top travel destination for tourists from across the world by cooperating and utilising our own networks. Zubin Karkaria, the founder and CEO of VFS Global Group, stated, “This partnership with KATA demonstrates our mutual dedication to enhancing inbound travel to the Republic of Korea, a popular vacation destination across the globe. By working together more closely, we hope to facilitate and encourage inbound travel to South Korea by utilising our vast global network of Visa Application Centres.”
Since 2007, the Government of the Republic of Korea has relied on VFS Global as a reliable partner for visa processing services.Through a network of seven specialised visa application centres worldwide, the firm provides visa services on behalf of South Korea in four other countries. More than 250,000 Korean visas have been processed by VFS Global. In addition to its primary business of providing visa services, VFS worldwide has created both regional and worldwide footprints in the tourism services sector. The Tourism Services Unit has 16 years of expertise and has worked with over 25 destinations. By 2030, Korea hopes to draw 30 million overseas visitors. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the nation received a record 18.7 million tourists by the end of 2025, exceeding the 17.5 million visitors that were recorded in 2019.
