Tourists from Southeast Asia may soon give you the option to go to South Korea without having to use for a visa, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said at a gathering of finance ministers yesterday.
The ministry’s move is alleged to be a part of a series of measures aimed toward boosting tourism in South Korea and mitigating the damage suffered by the tourism industry because of this of the Chinese boycott.
Other measures announced by the federal government yesterday will include different approaches to attracting foreign visitors, aid for the tourism industry and efforts to attract South Korean tourists’ attention back to the country and away from abroad.
People on package tours from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines to Jeju Island via Incheon or Gimpo airports will give you the option to remain in South Korea for as much as five days with out a visa.
Hwang Myung-sun, department head of MSCT, said: “The number of people visiting South Korea from Southeast Asia is increasing. By implementing promotional programs earlier than originally planned, we intend to stabilize the tourism industry in the first half of the year.”
Groups of 5 or more people from these countries can obtain visas through their travel agencies without visiting the Korean embassy.
Until now, only tourists from China could apply for a visa online at zero cost.
The ministry said that from June, tourists from Southeast Asia will give you the option to enter Jeju Island visa-free for 15 days without the necessity for a transit visa to mainland Korea.
“When it involves attracting more tourists from Southeast Asia, we are going to prepare a unique approach for (neighboring) countries corresponding to Japan,” he added.
In preparation for potential problems which will arise from the brand new visa-free tourism program, MSCT is currently in discussions with the Ministry of Justice to develop countermeasures.
With the federal government’s help, the South Korean airline will increase the variety of flights to the Southeast Asian region and expand its operations within the Philippines, Taiwan and Mongolia.
Government subsidies of about 100 billion won might be spent on the tourism industry, considered one of South Korea’s economic sectors that has been hit hard by China’s recent economic retaliation.
The government’s information program aimed toward boosting tourism within the country may even be aimed toward South Koreans living within the country, who flock to other countries in large numbers through the holiday season.
A monthly “Family Day” program is being introduced, which can allow employees to go away two hours earlier on Friday to spend more time shopping and eating with members of the family, in exchange for working an additional thirty minutes from Monday to Thursday.
Source: Korea BizWire | Chosunilbo
