"Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Group Tourists"... National Policy Committee, Promotes Swift Tasks (Comprehensive)

[Financial News] It is expected that visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists will be expanded nationwide. Currently, Chinese group tourists can stay visa-free for 30 days only in Jeju Island, but the proposal is to temporarily allow visa-free entry nationwide.

 The Presidential Committee on National Policy Planning announced on the 6th that it held a Regulatory Rationalization Task Force meeting and selected the 'Tourism Regulatory Rationalization Plan for Domestic Demand Activation' as a swift task to be promoted.
The committee agreed that to open the era of 30 million foreign tourists visiting Korea, it is necessary to resolve inconveniences for foreign tourists entering the country and improve unreasonable regulations. After a meeting with related ministries and experts, they confirmed the 'Three Major Tasks for Tourism Regulatory Rationalization' as swift tasks to be promoted.
 First is the allowance of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists. The committee proposed to the government to swiftly allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists recruited by designated travel agencies.
 A committee official explained, “About 28% of foreign tourists visiting Korea are Chinese,” adding, “China has already taken measures to allow our citizens to travel without a visa.”
 In November last year, China announced that it would implement a 'unilateral visa-free policy' for ordinary passport holders from Korea and other countries until December 31 this year. It was the first time that Korea was included in the list of countries for the phased expansion of the visa-free pilot policy that China has been implementing since the end of 2023, which was seen as a sign of improving bilateral relations.
 Earlier in March this year, the government announced that it would expand the visa-free permit area for Chinese group tourists nationwide from the third quarter, but the policy has not yet been implemented.


 The committee also proposed easing the fast-track entry requirements for international conference participants. Currently, the simplified entry inspection system is being piloted only for some international conferences with more than 500 foreign participants, but there is an opinion that the scope of application should be expanded to enhance the competitiveness of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry and attract international conferences.
 Finally, the criteria for applying as an excellent medical tourism attraction institution will be realized. Previously, non-hospital attraction agencies found it difficult to meet the foreign patient performance requirements, but now it will be improved so that applications can be made if there are more than 500 cases of foreign attraction performance. This is expected to allow more institutions to enjoy benefits such as the rapid issuance of electronic visas and the expansion of the accompanying family scope.
 Oh Ki-hyung, a planning committee member of the National Policy Committee (head of the Regulatory Rationalization Task Force), said, “There is a need to quickly promote regulatory innovation to institutionally support the activation of the tourism industry and drive the increase of foreign tourists and the expansion of consumption expenditure,” adding, “We will closely cooperate with the government to ensure that the proposed tasks are swiftly promoted and immediately produce results.”

imne@fnnews.com Hong Yeji Reporter