South Korea Introduces Initiatives to Revitalize Tourism Amid Political Challenges
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Seoul, Dec 26 (NationPress) The government introduced a series of initiatives on Thursday designed to stabilize its tourism industry, which is experiencing difficulties following President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented these initiatives during a government session chaired by acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
International tourist arrivals have bounced back to 94 percent of pre-pandemic figures, with 13.7 million visitors counted by October. However, the sector is encountering renewed pressure due to political unrest following Yoon's martial law announcement on December 3, which led major economies to issue elevated travel advisories.
This meeting occurs amid worries that the fallout from the political situation could persist into the first half of next year.
To expedite recovery and rejuvenate the tourism sector, the government will initiate robust campaigns to promote a positive perception of visiting Korea through various channels, as outlined by the ministry. These include significant international tourism fairs and the culture ministry's K-tourism roadshow, a series of overseas events showcasing Korean tourism.
As part of strategies to boost tourism demand, South Korea will hold a range of large-scale events in the first half of 2025 aimed at rekindling interest in visiting the country. These events will include the Korea Grand Sale, the Beyond K-Festa 'hallyu' festival, and the Korea Beauty Festival, which will highlight the nation's flourishing K-beauty sector. 'Hallyu' refers to the global rise of Korean pop culture.
To improve convenience for foreign tourists, the government will operate four out of eight languages available for its 1330 tourism interpretation and information service for 24 hours from January to March next year.
The temporary exemption of the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) program for specific countries and regions will be extended for an additional year until December 2025. Additionally, visa issuance fees for group tourists from China and five Southeast Asian countries will also be waived until the same month.
The government will collaborate with private firms, including Naver, to enhance foreign-language maps, restaurant bookings, and payment systems. This effort includes expanding foreign-language translations of reviews for tourist attractions and eateries on the local portal service and increasing QR payment infrastructure at major tourist sites and shopping centers. Automatic ticket vending machines that accept international credit cards will also be implemented.
In addition to its focus on inbound tourism, the government has laid out plans to launch nationwide campaigns promoting domestic tourism, provide financial backing to the industry affected by political unrest, and improve regional tourism infrastructure.
