Retailers, hotels brace for influx of Chinese tourists under new visa exemption rule

Starting Monday, Chinese tour groups are allowed to enter Korea without a visa, a move fueling hopes of higher spending in the tourism and retail sectors, while also raising concerns about tourist safety amid rising anti-China sentiment in the country. The government said earlier this month that Chinese tour groups of three or more will be allowed to enter Korea without a visa for up to 15 days. The program will run from Sept. 29 through June 30 next year, and is open to groups recruited by government-designated domestic and overseas travel agencies. Jeju Island will continue its existing visa-free policy, which allows both individual and group travelers to stay for up to 30 days. The decision came last November, after China announced a visa-free policy allowing Korean nationals to visit for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit through the end of this year. Until now, Chinese tourists visiting Korea generally had to apply for a visa at Korean embassies, consulates or designated visa centers in China, typically submitting documents such as round-trip tickets andWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times