Prime Minister Jeong: "Tourism Suffers Most from COVID-19... Safety Travel Guidelines Presented"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 26th, "As the first step of new tourism, the government aims to present guidelines that allow people to enjoy travel while protecting both personal and social safety," adding, "If everyone follows the government's prepared 'Safe Travel Guidelines' for each travel phase, it will be possible to enjoy travel while minimizing local infections."

Prime Minister Chung presided over the '5th National Tourism Strategy Meeting' held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day and stated, "One of the sectors most affected by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is tourism."

He mentioned, "In April this year, inbound tourists decreased by 98.3% compared to last year, and overseas travel by our citizens also dropped by 99.3%. It seems difficult for both overseas travel by our citizens and visits to Korea by foreigners to recover until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides."

He continued, "Currently, it is difficult to travel in the same way as before," and pointed out, "There are concerns about tourism from the perspective of quarantine."

Prime Minister Chung evaluated, "Our country has responded well to COVID-19 without lockdown measures based on three major principles: openness, transparency, and democracy."

He urged, "Relevant ministries should actively promote the safe travel guidelines to related industries and institutions for application on the ground, and the public should also follow the announced rules today to embark on safe travel."

Prime Minister Chung said, "We need to discover more tourist destinations suitable for the new tourism style," adding, "Due to COVID-19, people prefer small-scale trips with less contact with others. We should find appropriate tourism resources to meet this demand."

Furthermore, he expressed hope, saying, "Places that were not popular before can become new tourist destinations. If this allows people to feel the hidden charms of our country, a new virtuous cycle of domestic tourism will be created."

In particular, he emphasized, "To ensure the rapid recovery of the tourism industry, unnecessary regulations must be boldly removed," adding, "As society changes, systems that were once essential may now become unnecessary obstacles. Relevant ministries should continuously communicate with the private sector and actively pursue regulatory innovation."