Korean local governments scramble to lure Chinese group tourists

Chinese tourists arrive at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and wait for instructions from the guide on Aug. 15. [Photo by Yonhap]

South Korean local governments are scrambling to welcome Chinese tourists after Beijing lifted its ban on group tours to Korea for the first time in more than six years.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on Monday, 53 cruise ships from Shanghai, China, applied to call at Jeju and Gangjeong Ports on Jeju Island on Friday, one day after the Chinese government announced to allow group tours to Korea.

Jeju and Gangjeong ports are now fully booked until March next year on surging demand for cruise ships from China. One cruise ship generally carries hundreds to thousands of Chinese tourists.

The Incheon Port Authority also restored routes for international passengers, including cruise and car ferry passengers, and coastal passengers for Ongjin and Jeju routes on Saturday, following its move on March 19 to receive cruise passengers at Incheon Port.

Incheon Port has 10 out of the 16 routes connecting Korea and North China, including Dandong, Dalian, Yantai, and Weihai, boasting the largest number of car ferry routes between the two countries.

Low-cost carriers, in the meantime, are offering new flights to China. JejuAir Co., for example, launched its Jeju-Beijing route on August 2.

Regional governments are all going all-out to welcome Chinese group tourists.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to attract 15,000 Chinese tourists by offering 700 million won ($524,148) in incentives to travel agencies from overseas and in the metropolitan area.

Starting next week, it will offer a 20 percent discount to Chinese tourists on the “Visit Busan Pass,” an exclusive tourist pass for foreigners, in conjunction with China’s largest online travel agency, Ctrip International Ltd, and provide flight and hotel discount promotions in association with WeChat, China’s largest messenger service.

Incheon Port Authority also plans to introduce China group tourism travel products in partnership with Incheon City, the Incheon Tourism Organization, and shipping companies and attract inbound passengers through travel agency familiarization (FAM) tours.

It is also preparing marketing offers such as fare discounts for mountain clubs, clubs, university students, and international students from China on belief that outbound passengers from overseas are also considered important in revitalizing Incheon Port.

Gyeonggi Tourism Organization is also promoting FAM tours for leading Chinese travel agencies, developing tour products in cooperation with key Chinese travel agencies, and attracting foreign independent travelers (FITs) and special interest travelers (SITs).

Jeju Province will develop high-value-added products such as support policies for trekking, marathons, golfing, marine sports, and family travel. It also plans to launch a Jeju tourism campaign to create a hospitable atmosphere and operate a service academy for tourism businesses and tourism industry workers in the province to provide friendly service.