Korea Invites 200 Chinese to Promote Tourism

The Korea Tourism Organization, Asiana Airlines and Lotte Group invited 200 Chinese journalists and bloggers to Korea to boost the tourism industry after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

They will stay in Seoul from July 15 to 18 and ride cruise boats, visit the new Lotte World shopping mall in Jamsil and join a walkathon in Myeong-dong, a popular shopping destination for Chinese tourists.

The effort comes amid a 21 percent drop in tourism since the MERS outbreak in late May. The tourism industry wants to show Chinese opinion leaders just how safe it is to travel here.

Asiana’s flights to China account for 19 percent of the airline's total revenues, and around 30,000 Chinese tourists have canceled reservations since the outbreak.

Earlier, the government said tour groups from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam do not have to pay the US$15 visa fee until Sept. 30, while Chinese tour groups with Japanese entry visas can enter Korea visa-free for 15 days.