First foreign visitor this year receives airline tickets, hotel voucher

Korea's first foreign visitor for the year, fourth from right, smiles after receiving gifts from Korean Air at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. Courtesy of Korean Air

By Jung Min-ho

The first foreign visitor to Korea this year has been welcomed with flowers and other special gifts.

The Chinese woman who arrived at Incheon International Airport at 1 a.m. from Beijing was greeted by Korean Air and airport staff with gifts, including a round-trip prestige-class ticket and a voucher for the Grand Hyatt Incheon.

“I came here to celebrate the New Year and experience Korean culture through traveling and shopping,” she said. “What a great start. I have good feelings about my trip.”

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists surged more than 26 percent to 5.51 million in the first 11 months of 2019, compared with the previous year.