S. Korea visa waiver spurs surge in travel interest

Internet search interest among Chinese tourists for travel to South Korea has surged following Seoul's decision to grant a temporary visa waiver for Chinese group visitors starting on Sept 29, and more domestic travel agencies are developing group tour packages to the country.

The waiver will be effective through June 30, 2026.

Within half an hour of the announcement on Wednesday by the office of South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, the search volume for tourism products to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, among Chinese mainland tourists increased by 70 percent, according to Beijing-based travel portal Qunar.

This is the first time that South Korea has granted visa exemptions for Chinese group tourists, regardless of their point of entry. Previously, only Jeju Island offered visa-free entry for Chinese tourists for stays up to 30 days.

Qiao Chengwei, director of the membership channel at Tuniu Corp, a Nanjing, Jiangsu province-based online travel agency, said: "Combining factors such as price, visa-free policy and close geographical location to China, the cost-effectiveness of traveling to South Korea is relatively high. The latest policy is expected to facilitate more Chinese travelers visiting South Korea during the upcoming National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7."

Popular destinations in South Korea include the Myeongdong shopping mecca and Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, and Hallasan Mountain on Jeju Island," he added.

In 2024, some 4.6 million passenger trips were made by Chinese travelers to South Korea, accounting for 28.1 percent of inbound tourists, and ranking China No 1 among tourist source countries, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

This year, Chinese mainland travelers have indicated a continuing enthusiasm for visiting the country. The most popular South Korean destinations for Chinese tourists include Seoul, Jeju, Busan and Incheon, according to Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency.

Multiple domestic travel agencies offer different group tour products, private tours, customized tours and tours by cruise ship.

Shanghai-based travel agency Spring Tour said that from August until the end of October, it is organizing group tours from Shanghai to South Korea on a daily basis. In addition, the company is developing more in-depth group tours to Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea.

Shao Yuhua, general manager of the Asia-Pacific department of Spring Tour, said, "The launch of the visa-free policy will further heat up the tourism market during the National Day holiday and throughout autumn and winter, and create richer experiences for tourists from both countries."

So far this year, South Korea ranks as the third most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers, following Japan and Thailand, according to Trip.com.

Fang Zexi, a Trip.com Group researcher, said: "South Korea's exemption of visas for Chinese group tourists will significantly improve convenience. It is expected to attract more middle-aged, elderly and family travelers, and unleash demand for group tours from third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities.

"The flow of Chinese group tourists will directly drive the recovery of South Korea's retail, duty-free and catering sectors, while promoting interactions between the two sides," Fang said.

So far, the majority of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea are young travelers, with the highest number being those born in the 1990s, followed by travelers born in the 1980s and after 2000, Trip.com said.

Many young Chinese have been visiting South Korea for weekend trips to go shopping or attend concerts. "I went to Seoul for a concert and traveled back to Shanghai on the same day," said Wendy Chen, a K-pop enthusiast from Shanghai.

Based on earlier calculations by the Bank of Korea, South Korea's central bank, every 1 million additional Chinese group tourists will help drive a 0.08 percentage point increase in South Korea's GDP growth rate.

Meanwhile, China has been granting unilateral visa-free entry to South Korean citizens since November, and exchanges between the two countries have grown rapidly.

zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn