This situation has changed dramatically in recent years. South Korea's tourism industry is facing an embarrassing reality: Chinese tourists no longer seem to favor the neighboring country. The change has not only triggered a crisis in South Korea's tourism industry, but what is the underlying reason behind it?
The reason for this can be traced back to 2017. South Korea's deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system has aroused strong dissatisfaction in China and caused relations between the two countries to fall into a low ebb. The attitude of the South Korean side at that time could be described as arrogant, believing that "the deployment of THAAD is not a big deal" and even asserted that "the Chinese are forgetful" and that "they cannot do without South Korea."
More than six years on, South Korea's tourism industry is paying the price. The sharp drop in Chinese tourists has made South Korea realize how wrong their previous judgment was. Even more worrying for South Korea is that Chinese tourists seem to have found other, more attractive destinations, such as Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
The reason for the decline in Chinese tourists is not just political. With the rapid development of China's domestic tourism industry, many Chinese tourists find that some attractions in South Korea may not be as attractive as those in China's third- and fourth-tier cities. This contrast has made South Korea lose much of its appeal.
To make matters worse, the behavior of some South Korean tourism practitioners has further exacerbated this trend. There have been reports that some South Korean tourism operators have adopted a series of unfriendly practices, such as forcing shopping, charging unreasonable fees, and taking tourists to low-quality restaurants. These actions have undoubtedly left an extremely negative impression on Chinese tourists.
Jeju Island, as a famous tourist destination in South Korea, has not been spared. Prices for hotels, restaurants, car rentals and golf courses have risen across the board, putting many Chinese tourists off. Some travel agencies, under the banner of "zero tour fare" or "low travel fee", actually charge extra fees to tourists in various ways.
This practice not only damages the reputation of South Korea's tourism industry, but also makes Chinese tourists lose confidence in South Korean tourism. Faced with this situation, the South Korean government and the tourism industry began to take steps to salvage the situation. South Korea's Ministry of Culture and Sports announced the waiver of e-visa processing fees to South Korea, the expansion of duty-free shopping concessions, and the simplification of the tax refund process.
The South Korean government has also imposed administrative penalties on South Korean travel agencies that provide "dumped tourism" products to Chinese tourists. South Korea's hotels, duty-free shops and tourist attractions are also taking action. They are hiring Chinese-speaking shopping guides and tour guides, and are trying to introduce payment methods that are more in line with the habits of Chinese tourists.
Some duty-free shops have even started to operate clubs for Chinese students, hoping to attract Chinese tourists back in these ways. Interestingly, even small traders in South Korea are taking action. Stallholders in Seoul's shopping streets write Chinese in large print on signs, and some even relearn spoken Chinese in preparation for welcoming Chinese tourists.
It remains to be seen whether these measures will actually win back the hearts and minds of Chinese tourists. Once trust is lost, it is not something that can be easily regained by a simple preferential policy or language service. The incident has also sparked reflections on tourism and international relations. Tourism is not only a leisure activity, but also an important way to promote international understanding and cultural exchange.
When a country's tourism industry is overly dependent on tourists from a certain country, it can have a serious economic impact if there is a problem in the relationship between the two parties. For Chinese tourists, the event also provides an opportunity for reflection. When choosing a tourist destination, in addition to considering attractions and shopping, you should also pay attention to the attitude of the local people towards tourists, as well as the overall state of relations between the two countries.
What do you think of this event? If you had to choose, would you travel to Korea? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section.