South Korea and Japan have respectively announced plans to ease visa requirements for Chinese visitors, with the measures expected to be in effect in the coming months.
On Thursday, South Korea’s acting president and prime minister, Han Duck-soo, headed a meeting about “stabilising” that country’s tourism sector, according to local media reports.
The plan included measures to counter what an official said was the negative impact on the inbound-visitor market, of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment by the National Assembly.
Among the support measures for South Korean tourism – announced by the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism – is a plan to launch a temporary visa-free policy for Chinese tour groups that use designated travel agencies.
The visa issuance fee exemption period for group tourists from six countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India, will be extended until December 2025, he added.
The ministry also said the country plans to spend 70 percent of its 2025 tourism budget in the first half, launching a number of promotional campaigns to attract overseas visitors.
The South Korean government has reportedly set a target of attracting 18.5 million foreign tourists to the country in 2025. The ministry said the government plans to help tourism businesses achieve KRW30 trillion (US$20.37 billion) in sales next year.
The country’s casino sector is a long-standing element of its tourism infrastructure. South Korea has 17 casinos, according to Korea Casino Association data, with 16 of those open only to foreigners. The sole property that legally allows gambling by local residents is the Kangwon Land casino resort, in an upland area of Kangwon province – 150 kilometres (93 miles) from Seoul.
As part of neighbouring Japan’s effort at appealing to tourists, its Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya says his country is mulling introducing a new 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa aimed at affluent Chinese, as well as a multiple-entry sightseeing visas that can be used over a three-year period.
According to media reports, Mr Iwaya made the comments on Wednesday in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The Japanese government also intends to extend the period of validity of the Chinese group tourist visa from the current 15 days to 30 days, Mr Iwaya reportedly said.
Japan’s first and so far only casino resort, MGM Osaka, is due to open in late 2030.
