On December 26, South Korea’s Office of the Prime Minister annoucned new measures to revitalize tourism. Key points include:
A trial visa exemption for Chinese group tourists invited by designated Korea-China travel agencies.
Extending the waiver on visa application fees for group tourists from six countries—China, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India—until December 2025.
Extending the pilot program for expedited entry screening for key international conference participants to mid-2025.
Piloting a cruise tourism landing permit system next year allowing groups of three or more Chinese tourists arriving by cruise to enter visa-free.
Chinese tourists remain a cornerstone of South Korea’s inbound tourism.
In the first half of 2024, South Korea received approximately 7.7 million foreign visitors, with over 2.2 million coming from mainland China-surpassing the total for all of 2.02 million last year.
Despite the positive outlook, South Korea's tourism industry faces mounting challenges.
A state of emergency declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol recently led to South Korea being labeled a "dangerous travel destination," sharply reducing tourist numbers.
A survey of 40 Busan-based tourism companies projects a 65% drop in bookings through Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The duty-free industry continues to struggle, hit by high exchange rates and declining tourist numbers. Sales plummeted last year, and several duty-free shops reported operating losses in Q3 2024.
The visa exemption policy is expected to ease travel and stimulate more Chinese tourist arrivals, providing a much-needed boost for South Korea's retail, duty-free, and tourism sectors.
