Korea, Japan, China tourism heads vow to raise traveler numbers to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

Tourism ministers from Korea, Japan and China signed and issued a joint statement during the 10th Korea-Japan-China Tourism Ministers’ Meeting held in Kobe, Japan, on Wednesday.

Yu In-chon, Korea's minister of culture, sports and tourism, right, Tetsuo Saito, Japan's minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, center, and Zhang Zheng, vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, left, pose for a photo after signing the joint statement during the 10th Korea-Japan-China Tourism Ministers’ Meeting held in Kobe, Japan, on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

KOBE, Japan - Tourism ministers from Korea, Japan and China signed and issued a joint statement during the 10th Korea-Japan-China Tourism Ministers’ Meeting held in Kobe, Japan, on Wednesday.

The event, attended by Yu In-chon, Korea's minister of culture, sports and tourism, Tetsuo Saito, Japan's minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism and Zhang Zheng, the vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, was held this year for the first time in five years, as it had to be suspended due to the pandemic.

The joint communiqué states that the nations will actively collaborate to reach 40 million travelers across the three countries by 2030 — a goal set by the leaders of Korea, Japan and China in May during the three-way summit held in Korea. To do so, the three tourism ministers agreed to at least restore the number of travelers to pre-pandemic levels by the time the World Expo 2025 starts in Osaka, Japan, next April.

In 2018, the number of people-to-people exchanges totaled 30.5 million and 31.5 million in 2019. There are no figures after 2020, as China refused to submit information after the Covid-19 pandemic began.

“The World Expo will be held in Osaka, Kansai, next year, but the three countries believe that it’s an opportunity for all of us,” said Minister Yu during the press conference held right after the meeting. “Korea, Japan and China will develop various travel programs and promote together so that visitors coming from faraway regions like the United States, Europe and Oceania can use this opportunity to visit all three countries.”

Under the joint statement signed on Wednesday, the three countries will also establish a cooperation network to promote regional tourism exchanges. This includes enhancing infrastructure in smaller cities so that foreign travelers can conveniently navigate and enjoy the areas.

They also discussed comprehensive trilateral cooperation in various tourism-related areas, such as ensuring traveler safety, transportation, the improvement of the screening system at airports and visa requirements for travelers.

“As for Korea and China, there are many issues to solve in terms of visa requirements,” said Yu. “But both the Chinese vice minister of tourism and I agree that they need to be relaxed, and we’ll talk to the related ministries back in our home countries when we return home.”

The 11th Korea-Japan-China Tourism Ministers' Meeting will be held in China next year.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]