South Korea eases visa policy to attract more tourists

Tourists from China, Russia and South East Asian countries are now allowed to tour Seoul and nearby areas in South Korea without a visa, if they are stopping by for less than 12 hours, according to South Korea government.

It is only a test run, but by easing the country’s visa policy, South Korea expects to see up to 8,000 more tourists per month.

 South Korean government will temporarily ease its visa policy for tourists stopping over Incheon International Airport. Now more tourists from China, Russia, and South East Asian countries can enjoy a day-trip to Seoul without the overwhelming paperwork.

“Before, if you were stopping over Incheon Airport to go to another country, let’s say from China to South East Asia, or from Australia to China, you had to get a visa regardless how short your layover was. But now, if you sign up for a transit tour program, you can tour the Seoul Metropolitan area without a visa for up to 12 hours,” said Kim Sung-eun, deputy director of International Tourism Division of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea.

Chinese tourists are already been allowed to travel without a visa when flying directly to Jeju Island. But now they also have the option of adding Seoul in their itinerary.

“For Chinese tourists traveling to Jeju Island, they used to need a visa if they wanted to use domestic flights from Incheon Airport. But now they can enjoy transit tours in Seoul and then head to Jeju Island without a visa,” said Kim Sung-eun.

To enjoy this eased policy, travelers need to sign up for transit tour programs selected by the tourism ministry. Hana Tour is one of the nine travel companies chosen by the government.

“We expect a lot more tourists, mostly from China and Russia, to come to South Korea due to the no-visa transit policy. Even though 24 hours is a short time, we are preparing many transit tour programs for the Seoul Metropolitan Area,” said Cho Il-sang, PR Department of Hana Tour.

In the past, the no-visa transit policy only applied to visitors from the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as Chinese travelers with a European visa. But by adjusting the visa policy, South Korea hopes to attract more tourists to help local economy. Some say the number could reach up to 8,000 per month.

South Korea will test the revised no-visa transit policy for the next three months. And they will decide whether or not to keep this policy after January 29 next year. – Reuters