On Thursday (Mar 20), South Korea announced that it would grant visa exemptions to Chinese tourists in the third quarter of this year. This is aimed at promoting tourism due to weak domestic demand and in advance of an Asia – Pacific summit later in the year.
This decision follows China’s action in November last year. China extended visa – free entry to citizens from South Korea and other Asian and European countries for business, tourism, and family visits until the end of this year.
“The third quarter will see the implementation of a temporary visa – waiver policy for Chinese group tourists to accelerate the recovery of the number of Chinese visitors,” stated Choi Sang – mok, the acting president of South Korea.
South Korea is set to hold a summit of leaders from 21 economies for the Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the fourth quarter of this year. The venue is the southeastern city of Gyeongju, which is famous for its heritage tourism.
Last year, 16.4 million tourists visited South Korea. This figure represents a 48% increase compared to the previous year and is close to the 17.5 million visitors in 2019, before the COVID – 19 pandemic. According to government data, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest proportion, at 28%. Among these Chinese tourists, nearly one – third were women in their 20s and 30s.
