"China's Competing Reports: 'Specially Loved in Korea... Tourists Increased by 900%'"

Local Media Gives Significant Coverage... Encouraged Atmosphere

Travelers waiting to depart at Incheon Airport Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Chinese state media have reported a significant increase in the number of Korean tourists visiting China in 2024. The news has been met with great enthusiasm.

The state-run English newspaper Global Times published an article on the 10th titled "China inbound tourism rebounds with a 909% surge in Korean visitors in January," giving it prominent coverage. Citing data from the Korean Ministry of Justice, it reported that 142,000 Koreans visited China in January, marking a 908.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Earlier, the online edition of the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, People's Daily, known as People.cn (人民網), also quoted representatives from Korean travel agencies such as Modetour, stating that the number of Korean group tourists visiting China has been steadily increasing since a sharp rise began in April last year. It highlighted Koreans’ special affection for Zhangjiajie (張家界·Jangjagae), a representative tourist destination in Hunan Province, and noted that many Korean travel agencies have introduced customized tour packages for trips to China. The article also pointed out that major airlines like Korean Air are expanding routes to and from China.

The increase in Korean tourists was analyzed as a result of China’s efforts to attract foreign visitors. In December last year, China granted visa exemptions of up to 15 days to six countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. In December, China also reduced visa fees by 25% for 12 countries including Korea, and from January, simplified visa issuance requirements for U.S. citizens. To improve convenience for foreign visitors, China significantly raised the transaction limit for domestic mobile payment services to five times the previous amount.

According to aviation statistics from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of passengers using China routes in February was 1,018,447, which is about 10 times the 105,224 passengers on China routes in February last year. The number of passengers on China routes exceeding one million is the first time in four years since January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was 1,540,037.