Korean Air Partners The British Museum

Korean Air has expanded its programme of global cultural sponsorship by making a significant investment to the British Museum’s new set of handheld Multimedia Guides, with a five-year partnership to 2014. The Multimedia Guide will provide innovative interpretation to the museum’s six million visitors each year and help strengthen the airline’s image.

In celebration of the sponsorship, a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft has been ‘wrapped’ with images of artworks from the British Museum. The images displayed on the aircraft are a combination of the main artworks of the British Museum - Head of Augustus/Rome, Gold coffin mask of Satdjehuty/Egypt, Sutton Hoo helmet/Europe, King of Ife Head/Africa) with characters from the Korean language.

The Multimedia Guide is a touch screen device with audiovisual commentaries available in eleven languages, including for the first time, the Korean language. There will also be a children’s and British sign language multimedia guide, as well as an audio guide for the visually impaired. This set of guides provides a state-of-the art means for visitors to the British Museum to learn about the museum’s unparalleled collection.

Korean Air is no stranger to supporting the arts – this is the third such project in recent years. In 2008 Korean Air signed an agreement to sponsor the multimedia guide at the Louvre Museum in Paris and earlier this year the airline sponsored the introduction of the Korean language to the multimedia guide at Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Korean Air also offers a “Flying Art Ambassadors” service on selected routes that include London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and Incheon. Specially chosen and trained Korean Air cabin attendants, including those with degrees in art and culture, museum or curator experience, can provide information about museums, artists and famous artworks at the destination.

“Korean Air’s passion for cultural sponsorship differentiates it from other airlines. Our sponsorship of multimedia guides enables museum visitors to appreciate important objects and artworks in greater detail by listening to informative commentaries,” said Korean Air’s Chairman and CEO Mr. Yang Ho Cho. “Korean Air is a company that encourages and facilitates cultural exchanges. Millions of people appreciate art and culture and a similar number enjoy travel. We are creating a bond between these two worlds that will benefit the global cultural community and Korean Air’s cultural sponsorship programme will, in the future, expand further bringing a greater global cultural understanding.”

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum added, “Korean Air’s sponsorship of the project has been vital in allowing the Museum to greatly increase the number of objects that we offer through our handheld guides and across the major languages that our visitors use. As a Museum for the world, we are delighted to be able to offer our visitors the opportunity to learn about this unparalleled collection in so many languages and in a more interactive way.”

Passengers traveling with Korean Air in First and Prestige class on the Incheon – London route will be given special edition baggage name tags decorated with images of the Lewis Chessmen, the famous pieces displayed in the British Museum. Also throughout 2010 members of Korean Air’s frequent flyer scheme, Skypass, will receive £1.50 discounts on the cost of the hire of the multimedia guide (£4.5->£3), when they present their membership cards at the British Museum.

See recent travel news from: Travel News Asia, Korean Air, London, Museum