Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Group Tourists Revitalizes Retail Sector
Sales Surge at Must-Visit Spots: Convenience Stores, Supermarkets, and Duty-Free Shops
Industry Expects Major Boom After Chinese National Day Holiday
With the start of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, the previously stagnant retail industry is experiencing a rare surge in activity. In commercial districts with high concentrations of foreign visitors, such as Myeongdong and Hongdae, convenience store sales skyrocketed by 100 times compared to the previous week, while duty-free shops and K-fashion and beauty stores are also seeing increased crowds. Industry insiders expect that this opportunity will not be a fleeting boom, but rather a long-term growth driver fueled by expanding Chinese shopping demand.
Convenience store sales up 100-fold... Chinese tourists sweep up goods
Foreign tourists, including Chinese visitors, are strolling the streets of Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul.
According to industry sources on October 1, at the GS25 store in Myeongdong, Seoul, on September 29, sales from foreign payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay surged 100 times compared to the same day of the previous week. This was the result of Chinese group tourists buying up products en masse. K-pop albums, Netflix collaboration products, and Binggrae banana-flavored milk ranked among the top sellers.
Total sales at GS25 more than doubled, and CU also saw a 25% increase compared to the previous week. In particular, stores in areas with high foreign visitor traffic-such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, Seongsu, and airports-recorded a sales growth rate of 38%. Lotte Mart, which operates 10 stores specialized for foreign customers, saw its customer numbers increase by 35% and sales jump by nearly 15% compared to the previous Monday.
K-Food, Fashion, and Beauty in High Demand
On the morning of the 29th of last month, the first day of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, Chinese group cruise tourists were arriving at the Incheon Port International Cruise Terminal in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
At the Seoul Station branch near Myeongdong, which was visited by passengers from the cruise ship Dreamho that entered visa-free the previous day, snacks, nuts, and processed seaweed products were the top-selling items. The number one snack in sales was “Orion Bichobi Daehanminguk,” a Lotte Mart exclusive package product featuring traditional Korean imagery. Other distinctive products such as “Lotte Zero Fruit Jelly,” “Nongshim Bread Manager Choco Bread and Salt Bread,” “HBAF Almond Series,” and seaweed chips also sold in large quantities.
Fashion and beauty stores were also buzzing. At Musinsa Standard’s Myeongdong branch, sales to Chinese customers jumped 71% compared to the previous Monday, and Olive Young is preparing for an increase in foreign customers as the National Day holiday gets underway. Amorepacific has secured stock of popular products such as Sulwhasoo’s First Care Activating Serum and Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream, while LG Household & Health Care has stocked up on high-end products like The History of Whoo mask packs, Bichup Essence, and Hwanyudongango Cream to target premium demand.
Duty-Free Stores: "The Real Boom Will Come After National Day"
Foreign tourists, including Chinese visitors, are lining up in long queues to enter a duty-free shop in downtown Seoul.
Duty-free stores, which had the highest expectations for a surge in group tourists, also reported a noticeable increase in customer numbers. According to Lotte Duty Free, the average daily number of Chinese group tourists at its Myeongdong main store this month was around 1,000, but on the first day of visa-free entry, the number jumped to about 2,500, including 1,700 cruise group tourists. Shilla Duty Free also reported that its customer count the previous day was about 30% higher than usual.
Industry officials expect that, following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the full effect of visa-free entry will be realized as high-value group tourists-such as those visiting for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions)-begin to arrive in earnest.
"Xiaohongshu Is the New Travel Guide"
Popular destinations among Chinese group tourists, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, and Bukchon Hanok Village, are all expecting increased visitor numbers, as is Everland in Yongin, which is home to pandas beloved by Chinese tourists. A representative of the Korea Tourism Organization explained, “Recently, the places Chinese tourists visit are not much different from the locations popular among young Koreans. On Xiaohongshu, the Chinese equivalent of Instagram, information about trendy Korean cafes and pop-up stores is posted in real time, and this is immediately reflected in the travel destinations chosen by Chinese tourists.”
Previously, the government announced that visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists would be implemented from the previous day until June 30 of next year. Chinese group tourists of three or more, recruited by designated travel agencies both domestically and abroad, can travel throughout Korea for 15 days without a visa. Jeju Island will continue its existing policy, allowing both individual and group tourists visa-free entry for 30 days. The government expects this measure to bring in an additional one million Chinese tourists by June of next year.
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