Woo Ki-hong, Chair of the Tourism Industry Committee, Requests to Lift 'Entry PCR Test' Requirement

'24th Tourism Industry Committee' Proposes to Government

"Europe, US, and Southeast Asia Have Recovered 90% Pre-COVID
Korea Still at 10%... Request to Lift PCR Testing"

Woo Ki-hong, Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CEO of Korean Air). Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok]

"Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia have expanded international flight routes to 90% of pre-COVID levels, but Korea is only at 10%. To enter Korea, individuals must undergo at least two PCR tests costing about $200 (approximately 253,000 KRW) each."

Woo Ki-hong, Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and CEO of Korean Air, requested the government to ease PCR testing regulations on the 3rd. The '24th Tourism Industry Committee' meeting hosted by KCCI was held that morning at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. About 20 corporate and organization representatives attended, including Han Chae-yang, CEO of Chosun Hotel & Resort; Ahn Se-jin, CEO of Hotel Lotte; Oh Chang-hee, Chairman of the Korea Association of Travel Agents; Yoo Yong-jong, Chairman of the Korea Hotel Association; Lee Dae-sung, Chairman of the Korea Professional Hotel Managers Association; as well as Heo Hee-young, President of Korea Aerospace University, and Lee Hoon, President of the Korean Tourism Society.

Chairman Woo reported that due to the three-year COVID-19 pandemic impact, inbound tourists to Korea have regressed to 970,000, a level seen in 1980. Compared to 17.5 million in 2019 before the pandemic, this is only about 5%. The travel, accommodation, exhibition, and duty-free sectors, as well as small business owners and service industries, have been severely affected, pushing the tourism ecosystem to the brink of collapse. The annual revenue loss in the tourism industry reached 30 trillion KRW.

The problem is that Korea’s pace of regulatory easing is slower than that of other countries. According to Chairman Woo, Europe, the U.S., and Southeast Asia have increased international flight routes to 90% of pre-pandemic levels, while Korea remains at only 10%. Unlike countries that have fully lifted entry restrictions and quarantine regulations, Korea is still "standing still." Travelers entering Korea must undergo PCR testing, and quarantine-free entry for minors is not allowed, which inevitably restricts family travel.

Chairman Woo emphasized, "Until now, the focus has been on responding to the COVID-19 crisis, but now, in preparation for the COVID endemic era, active cooperation between the tourism industry and the government is necessary. In the endemic era, excessive quarantine regulations compared to international standards should be eased to actively attract the expected surge of global tourists, and long-term tourism industry growth strategies should be developed together."

Meeting participants unanimously agreed that government support is crucial to restore the fundamentals of the tourism industry. They stressed the need to continue policy support until the tourism industry fully recovers, including easing quarantine measures. Immediate priorities include abolishing the PCR negative test requirement, normalizing visa issuance, extending airport rent reductions, and providing employment support. They also called for policy support such as normalizing entry procedures and international flight routes (aviation), extending policy support and improving the duty-free system (duty-free shops), and supporting workforce recruitment and tax rationalization (hotels).