Incheon braces for surge in Chinese group tours with visa-free entry from Sept. 29

Incheon Port and Incheon International Airport are preparing for a surge in Chinese group tourists after the Korean government announced it will temporarily allow them visa-free entry starting Sept. 29. The policy, which will run through June 30 next year, is expected to drive traffic ahead of China’s National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7. The move follows Beijing’s decision last November to restore visa-free entry for Korean travelers, with Seoul now offering reciprocal measures to revive its struggling tourism sector. Port operators anticipate the policy will revive passenger numbers for Korea-China ferries and cruise ships, which remain below prepandemic levels. Ferries linking Incheon with Chinese cities such as Qingdao and Weihai carried 227,509 passengers from January to July, a 1.5 percent dip from the same period last year and about half of 2019 numbers. However, figures are starting to rebound. After four months of decline earlier this year, ferry passengers rose by 27.7 percent year-on-year in May, 77.1 percent in June and 54.6 percent in July. Cruise traffic has also surgeWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times