Post-Corona Era Korean Tourism... Focus on 'Safety, Contactless, and Simplification'

Panelists having a discussion at the 2021 Korea Tourism Expo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] As the possibility of resuming international tourism through travel bubbles (safe travel zones) increases as early as the end of this month, the travel industry is actively discussing and preparing for it. With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and the spread of variant viruses, government authorities are cautiously formulating strategies with 'safety' as the top priority. Airports and airlines are focusing on building systems that emphasize contactless and simplified immigration procedures.

At the Korea Tourism Expo held at Paradise City in Jung-gu, Incheon, experts are discussing Korea's international tourism, which is set to resume in the second half of the year. Especially during the event held from the 5th to the 9th, government agencies and industry experts in the domestic and international tourism sectors exchanged various opinions on travel in the post-COVID-19 era.

What strategies is Korea preparing for international tourism in the second half of the year? The Korea Tourism Organization is currently promoting international tourism in stages by dividing markets into three groups: Western countries (Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Germany), China and Japan, and others. Western countries are expected to recover the fastest due to their high vaccination rates. China and Japan, which hold the largest share in Korea's tourism market, are being closely monitored for the possibility of a rapid resumption of exchanges depending on intergovernmental policy decisions. In particular, the Korea Tourism Organization views the Tokyo Summer Olympics held on the 23rd of this month and the Beijing Winter Olympics scheduled for 2022 as important turning points. For other regions, the plan is to respond by monitoring each country's COVID-19 situation and establishing travel bubbles.

Joo Sang-yong, Director of International Tourism at the Korea Tourism Organization, emphasized, "It is true that there is great uncertainty regarding the resumption of international tourism depending on the COVID-19 situation," adding, "For travel bubbles to be sustained, safe tourism is above all important."

The time when overseas travel through travel bubbles becomes possible in Korea is expected to be late July or early August. Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. territory), which signed a travel bubble agreement with Korea on the 30th of last month, is the first destination. In addition, air routes are expected to open sequentially to Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and others. Depending on the progress of vaccination, there is also a possibility that travel bubbles will expand beyond Asia-Pacific to the United States and Europe.

There is also an argument that when the Korean government promotes travel bubbles, two-way exchanges should be prioritized over one-way. Kwon Jang-wook, professor of Tourism at Dongseo University, said, "The starting point of all diplomacy is mutual reciprocity," adding, "If we unilaterally send tourists or only receive tourists from the other country, an imbalance occurs in the travel industry during the process." He further stated, "In the case of China and Japan, which have political conflicts, it is worth considering promoting travel bubbles at the regional level rather than at the national level," adding, "If exchanges between the two countries increase and contribute to economic development, it will also help resolve political issues."

Airports, the gateways for overseas travel, are also making thorough preparations related to travel bubbles. In particular, Incheon Airport is focusing on building a 'Digital Health Pass' platform along with strengthening quarantine measures. The Digital Health Pass is a COVID-19 test result and vaccination certification system designed to support safe overseas entry and exit for citizens amid travel restrictions caused by COVID-19. Jeong Se-yeon, researcher at the Airport Industry Technology Research Institute of Incheon International Airport Corporation, explained, "Incheon Airport is currently building systems for identity verification through biometric information, document preparation, boarding processing, and duty-free shopping," adding, "This will help simplify the increased immigration time caused by quarantine procedures."

The domestic airline industry is also introducing the 'Travel Pass' in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to simplify immigration. The Travel Pass is a kind of 'digital health certificate' that allows travelers to instantly verify their COVID-19 test results, which are essential for entry into each country, through an application installed on their smartphones. Korean Air began a pilot operation of the Travel Pass in May. T'way Air, the first domestic low-cost carrier (LCC), has been conducting a pilot operation of the Travel Pass since last month.