The number of Chinese tourists to Korea has jumped nearly five times over the past 10 years, a report released by a state think tank showed Thursday.
According to a report by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, a subsidiary organization of the culture ministry, the number reached 2.22 million in 2011, up almost five fold from 443,000 in 2000 when South Korea allowed group tourism by Chinese citizens in full scale.
The number of Korean visitors to China also jumped about three fold from 1.34 million in 2000 to 4.18 million in 2011, the report showed.
It also showed Seoul and its adjacent areas were the main destinations of Chinese tourists while South Koreans favored the eastern part of China, including the Shandong Province.
The sharp rise was ascribed to China's economic growth, Beijing's relaxed control on tourism, the two countries' similarity of history and culture, the rising popularity of Korean pop culture and the expansion of air routes between the countries.
The institute forecast that the brisk cultural exchanges between the neighbors will help understand each other's culture and contribute to enhancing the Asian region's status in the world tourism market. (Yonhap)
1 | Korea to ease entry rules to boost tourism, domestic spending |
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