Bringing More Chinese Tourists to Korea

The Korean government has designated the years 2010-2012 as "Visit Korea Years", hoping to promote the Korean tourism brand to potential visitors worldwide.

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As a result, Korea is inching closer and closer to its goal of welcoming 10 million foreign tourists in one year.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I'm from Shanghai, China".

[Interview : ] "Taiwan".

[Interview : ] "Nanjing, China!"

[Interview : ] "Shanghai, China".

A large number of the tourists coming to Korea these days are from China. The "China rush" has businesses in Korea scrambling for new marketing strategies to grab these tourists' attention.

Exactly how many Chinese tourists come to visit Korea each year

[Interview : Han Hwa-jun, Chief of China Team Korea Tourism Organization] "The number of Chinese tourists to Korea is growing rapidly each year. It grew 40% last year, and we predict that it will grow another 20% this year to bring about 2.2 million Chinese to Korea".

Chinese tourists are the new VIPs of Korea's tourism industry. Why do they choose to come to Korea

[Interview : Zhang Sha Sha, Tourist China] "Korea and China are not far from each other, and Korea feels very familiar because it is part of the same Asian culture".

[Interview : Chai Yu Jun, Tourist China] "Usually, people come to shop and to look around the beautiful Jeju Island".

[Interview : Han Hwa-jun, Chief of China Team Korea Tourism Organization] "As you know, the Chinese economic growth is astronomical. That growth is making overseas travel more affordable for many Chinese, leading to an increase in Chinese tourists to Korea".

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization, most Chinese tourists come to Korea to shop.

At one department store famous for its popularity among Chinese tourists, it is easy to spot Chinese shoppers at any time of day.

[Interview : Zhang Cheng Hua, Tourist China] "I spent over US$2,500 here today. The products in Korea are high-quality, and very trendy".

[Interview : Gao Jie, Tourist China] "Korean products offer good quality at relatively low prices".

On September 18th, one duty-free shop in Korea was able to hit a new one-day sales record of 4.59 billion won, or US$3.85 million, thanks to Chinese tourists' spending.

[Interview : Han Do-hun, PR Team Lotte Department Store] "The proportion of sales made to Chinese tourists has increased 300% on-year when looking at numbers from October of last year to March 2011".

In particular, the item that Chinese tourists purchase the most are cosmetics. And they even have a favorite brand, which can clearly be verified at that brand's booth.

[Interview : Lee So-yun, Employee Amore Pacific] "Japanese tourists tend to look for affordable products for their own use, while Chinese tourists buy many gifts, naturally leading them to buy more expensive products".

This cosmetics brand was able to open its own branch in Beijing in March after becoming popular among Chinese tourists. Why did Chinese tourists find these products appealing

[Interview : Liu Ya Wei, Tourist China] "This cosmetics brand is made with natural ingredients including ginseng, and has many nutrients. It's very well-known in China".

Chinese tourists also made their mark on Jeju Island, as 12,000 Chinese tourists flocked to the island at once last month, giving Jeju's tourism industry an off-season bonanza.

Local governments have now taken to pursuing different marketing strategies including silver tourism and medical tourism to draw Chinese tourists to their district.

According to the City of Seoul, the average Chinese tourist spends more in Korea than the average Japanese tourist.

[Interview : Han Hwa-jun, Chief of China Team Korea Tourism Organization] "Next year, we predict that the number of tourists from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan will exceed the number of tourists from Japan".

China's extended national holiday beginning on October 1st brought 70,000 tourists to Korea as of October 7th.

As a gesture of welcome, the Korea Tourism Organization held a special event for Chinese tourists at Gyeongbokgung, or Gyeongbok Palace, one of the major tourism spots and historic sites in Seoul.

Bernhard Quandt, the CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization, personally became a one-day tour guide for the Chinese tourists visiting Gyeongbok Palace.

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[Interview : ] "They have seven days off now, and we are expecting about 70,000 visitors from China. We want to show our tourists that we really appreciate them coming here, so we gave a little present to all of the parties in that group, and we have welcoming banners at the airport so that they feel welcome".

Mr. Quandt introduces the history and the beauty of Korea's old palaces to Chinese tourists. The Chinese fall in love with the majesty of Gyeongbokg Palace.

[Interview : Cuo Ji Long, Tourist China] "I like Gyeongbok Palace because it reflects the culture of Korea".

[Interview : Zhang Han Wen, Tourist China] "Listening to Mr. Quandt made me feel as if I was taken back in time. Gyeongbok Palace is beautiful, and the architecture is excellent".

Chinese tourists are becoming a major force in propelling the Korean tourism industry! Korean corporations must understand and serve the needs of Chinese tourists. We hope that the Visit Korea Years will be a big step towards great exchange and better understanding between the two nations!

[STUDIO]

I just went into a store the other day in Myeongdong and when I asked the sales clerk a question responded in Chinese.
I used to see more bilingual Korean sales associates who spoke Japanese.
I hear the majority of Chinese tourists really enjoy their time here because of the food and the activities.
But there were some who were upset with the lack of accommodations recently. Seoul hotels are usually booked so it's good to plan early.