A major Korean cultural event has opened in India where the Korean Wave, or Hallyu phenomenon, had a late start.

The Korea Culture and Tourism Festival 2019 kicked off Saturday at the Phoenix Marketcity shopping mall in India's largest business city Mumbai.

The two-day festival will feature Korean tourism, cuisine and traditional culture.

South Korean local governments and corporations are taking part in the festival.

Korean airlines and travel agencies in conjunction with local travel firms are also promoting tour products to Korea.

The Korean Cultural Center in India has meanwhile hosted a Korean film festival in the vicinity showcasing six Korean movies.

The Culture and Tourism Festival is organized by the Korea Tourism Organization, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India for cooperation in attracting tourists to each other's country.

As of February, the number of Indian travelers to South Korea jumped 17 percent year-on-year.

The Tourism Organization aims to attract Indian group tours to Korea through the newly introduced group visa rule.