Shanghai becomes new weekend getaway for Korean travelers

SHANGHAI — Koreans have dubbed it the “night owl getaway” — a weekend city of shimmering towers, acclaimed cuisine and a vibrant urban energy found nowhere else. In recent months, Shanghai has surpassed Tokyo and Hong Kong as the destination of choice for a new generation of Korean travelers, driven by China’s visa-free entry through 2025 and a rising appetite for its cuisine and urban life. According to government statistics, Shanghai welcomed 4.16 million international visitors through mid-August, marking a nearly 38 percent increase amid a strong rebound in inbound travel. Koreans accounted for 423,000 arrivals, a surge of 130.7 percent from last year, making them the city’s largest foreign visitors. Roughly 1 in 4 flights from Korean airports to China now land in Shanghai. The surge comes after China announced in November 2024 that Korean travelers can visit for up to 30 days without a visa. Online travel platform Klook reported reservations for Shanghai tours went up by 88 percent, day tours up 549 percent and mobility services up 538 percent during this summer holidayWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times