Reference News Network, November 10 report. According to Yonhap News on November 9, South Korea has implemented a trial visa exemption policy for Chinese group tourists, and the summit between the heads of state of the two countries held during the APEC Gyeongju meeting have injected new confidence and vitality into South Korea's tourism, beauty, and other industries.
According to the report, industry insiders said on the 9th that with the improvement of South Korea-China relations, not only is the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea expected to increase, but also the number of South Korean tourists traveling to China is expected to see new growth momentum. Especially since the government started a trial visa exemption policy for Chinese group tourists from September 29, the number of visitors to South Korea is expected to continue to grow.
Several travel agencies specializing in Chinese group tourism pointed out that the friendly attitude of the Chinese government plays a key role in attracting group tourists. A representative of a travel agency stated that due to the visa exemption policy being newly implemented in September, the market response in October was not obvious. However, with the visit of the Chinese leader to South Korea, it is believed that the domestic atmosphere in China will become more positive. The various travel agencies are preparing to organize large-scale tour groups for Chinese enterprises and institutions, which can reach thousands of people.
The report said that hotels in central Seoul and near the airport, as well as hotels on Jeju Island, also expect a significant recovery of Chinese customers due to the improvement of South Korea-China relations. A representative of a five-star hotel in Seoul said that the current proportion of Chinese group tourists staying at the hotel is low, but it is expected that individual tourists will increase significantly. In the long term, Chinese guests coming to South Korea for business visits are also expected to increase. A representative of Lotte Tourism Development Company said that with the increasing frequency of cultural exchanges between South Korea and China, it is expected that customer demand in the hotel industry will rise in tandem.
On the other hand, the South Korean outbound tourism market is also showing an active trend. Since last November, when China implemented a trial visa exemption policy for South Korean citizens, tourism to China has continued to heat up.
According to Hanawa Travel Agency, in the outbound tourism market, the share of Chinese tourism products increased from 6.7% in the first quarter of last year to 10.7% in the first quarter of this year, and further rose to 18.8% in the third quarter, higher than the same period last year (16.6%). Data from Modu Travel Group shows that the number of bookings for tourism to China in the first three quarters of this year increased by about 17% compared to the same period last year, and the number of bookings from last month to this month's 5th increased by as much as 45%.
The tourism data platform NOL UNIVERSE pointed out that from January to October this year, the sales of Chinese routes departing from South Korea increased by 61% compared to the previous year. The platform analyzed that in the past, tours to China mainly focused on group tours for mountain and water scenic spots among middle-aged and elderly groups, but with the improvement of diplomatic relations, it is expected that young people traveling independently to major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai will significantly increase.
The report said that under the context of improved South Korea-China relations, not only the tourism industry benefits, but also the South Korean beauty industry, which rapidly rose due to the "Chinese dividend," also hopes for the recovery of the Chinese market. According to statistics from the Korea Healthcare Industry Promotion Institute, the export value of South Korean cosmetics to China in the first three quarters of this year was 1.58 billion U.S. dollars, a decrease of 11.5% compared to the same period last year. In the ranking of export destinations, China was surpassed by the United States, dropping to second place.
On November 9, people were enjoying the autumn in Seorae Park in Seoul, South Korea. (Xinhua)
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