Over 2,000 Cruise Tourists Arrive in Korea
Lotte and Shilla Duty Free Attract a Portion of Youke
Stores Bustling as Purchases Continue
Visa-Free Policy Spurs Growing Interest in Visiting Korea
At 2:00 p.m. on September 29, at the parking lot of the Shilla Duty Free Seoul branch in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Chinese tourists began disembarking from their tour buses. Ranging from young children to middle-aged and older adults, these tourists, guided by a flag-bearing tour leader, lined up and entered the duty-free store. A large LED display in the lobby showed a Chinese-language message warmly welcoming the group, and staff dressed in hanbok presented a bouquet to a representative of the tourists before taking commemorative photos.
Chinese group tourists visiting the Shilla Duty Free Seoul branch are receiving explanations about products from store staff. Photo by Kim Heungsun
The Shilla Duty Free Seoul branch, operated by Hotel Shilla, attracted about 470 out of the 2,000 Chinese group tourists-known as "Youke"-who visited Korea on a large cruise ship under the visa-free entry program for Chinese group tourists that began on this day. These visitors were part of the passengers from the 77,000-ton "Dream" cruise ship, operated by Tianjin Dongfang International Cruises, which made its first stop at Incheon Port that morning.
With the duty-free industry struggling due to sluggish market conditions, the arrival of such a large group of Chinese tourists brought a lively atmosphere to the store, as Shilla Duty Free staff and brand sales representatives gathered to welcome them. On the first basement level, where snacks, cosmetics, and health supplements are sold, the Youke were bustling as they browsed the merchandise. A sales staff member from a beauty brand commented, "We occasionally have small groups of tourists, but it is rare to see hundreds of Chinese visitors at once in the store."
Chinese group tourists visiting Shilla Duty Free Seoul store are taking commemorative photos at the welcome event. Photo by Kim Heungsun
Among these tourists, many of whom were middle-aged or older, a significant number showed interest in counters selling hair dye, health supplements, and stores displaying chocolate and snacks. Staff providing explanations in Chinese were busy responding loudly to repeated product inquiries from tourists. Some female customers purchased three or four items at a time, paying via WeChat Pay and Alipay. For some products, such as cigarettes, price tags in Chinese yuan were printed in small letters. A store employee explained, "Since many Chinese customers are not familiar with prices marked in dollars, we prepared separate price tags in yuan for popular items."
Shilla Duty Free has been working to attract Youke in collaboration with its local offices in line with the temporary visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, which is allowed until June next year. For these first visa-free arrivals, the company provided discount coupons in advance through local travel agencies and prepared promotions, such as offering up to 60% off on popular cosmetics brands among Chinese tourists. Kim Boyeon, Executive Director and Head of Marketing for Hotel Shilla's Duty Free Business (TR) Division, said, "With the visa-free entry process being simplified, it has become easier to attract Chinese group tourists than before, and more people are showing real interest in traveling to Korea through various channels. If the number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea increases, the duty-free industry can also expect a boom."
Chinese group tourists visiting Lotte Duty Free Myeongdong Main Store are shopping. Photo by Lotte Duty Free
At the Lotte Duty Free Myeongdong Main Store in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, about 1,700 passengers from the Dream cruise ship were welcomed on the same day. These Youke arrived in about 40 tour buses and visited the store in succession. Lotte Duty Free plans to attract another 10,000 Chinese group tourists next month to visit its branches in Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. To enhance the shopping convenience for Chinese tourists, the company has also strengthened mobile payment promotions using Alipay and WeChat Pay.
In addition, Shinsegae Duty Free gathered 103 incentive (reward tourism) tourists from a Chinese insurance company at its Myeongdong branch. To coincide with Chuseok and the National Day holidays next month, the company is running a promotion where customers who purchase more than 300 dollars' worth of beauty, fashion, or food products will receive an eco-friendly "Fortune Bag" featuring the Chinese character for fortune (福).
The visa-free policy, implemented to revitalize the tourism industry, is expected to bring new energy not only to the duty-free sector but also to the entire retail industry. A guide leading the cruise tourists said, "We plan to visit major tourist attractions such as Namsan Park and Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as seaweed sellers popular among Chinese visitors. Since hearing about the possibility of visa-free entry, more Chinese people are preparing to travel to Korea during the National Day holidays." A cruise tourist from Tianjin said, "This is my first time visiting Korea, and as the news of visa-free entry has spread, more people have become interested. I plan to visit Korea again next year."
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