Choi Sang-mok, acting president and Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said on the 20th, “To diversify the inbound market, we will implement a temporary visa waiver for Chinese group tourists in the third quarter.”
On that day, Acting Minister Choi held a meeting to check the people's livelihood economy at the ‘Choi Wealth Academy’ in Gyeongju's Gyeochon Hanok Village and stated, “I will announce a specific implementation plan next month.”
According to the government, the number of inbound tourists stood at 1.12 million as of January, recording 101.1% compared to the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Acting Minister Choi noted, “The number of inbound tourists is at an all-time high,” but added, “However, competition for attracting tourists is intensifying with neighboring countries like Japan and China, and inbound tourists are concentrated in some areas like Seoul.”
Choi continued, “The government will improve the entry convenience for tourists and strengthen overseas local promotions to diversify the inbound tourism market,” adding, “We will expand the supply of customized tourism products to ensure potential demand from Southeast Asia and the Middle East translates into actual inbound tourism.”
The government’s policy is to respond to the changing demand from ‘attractions’ to ‘experiences’ by turning everything Korean (K-everything) into tourism resources. To this end, experiential tourism products linked to various industries such as K-food, beauty, content, and sports will be prepared. A counseling support center for local governments and small businesses aiming to attract inbound tourists, named 'Inbound One-stop,' is scheduled to launch in May.
In addition, Acting Minister Choi said, “We will diversify the inbound routes so that foreign tourists visit various places across the nation,” and noted, “Taking advantage of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, we will develop tourism products in the Gyeongju and Gyeongbuk regions and promote them intensively.”
Choi added, “We will operate a 'fam tour' program to introduce Korea to over 900 attendees, including participants of the meeting, the media, and travel agencies,” and noted that starting this year, we will improve the convenience of travel between regional transportation hubs and tourist sites, focusing on ‘super-regional tourism transportation innovation districts*’ and ‘tourism transportation promotion areas’ selected.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister Choi had lunch with the members of the regional APEC inter-city support council, including the local Chamber of Commerce and tourism organizations in Gyeongju, and heard their difficulties. He noted, “The government will provide necessary support for a successful event and to invigorate the local economy.”