Korea opens door wider to Chinese travelers, but will they come?

T ravelers arrive at Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal, Feb. 6. Yonhap

HONG KONG — Repeat short-haul visits by Chinese travelers to Korea are expected to rise after Seoul eased multiple-entry visa rules, but analysts say the immediate impact may be limited because of growing competition from Southeast Asia and higher airfares linked to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

The Korean embassy in Beijing announced that Chinese nationals who had previously visited Korea would now be eligible for a five-year multiple-entry visa.

Those holding residency status in 14 major cities — including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou — could also apply for 10-year multiple-entry visas, the embassy said this week. Employees of Chinese companies that have invested at least $1 million in Korea were also eligible for 10-year multiple-entry visas.

The measures come amid improving bilateral ties, as Beijing and Seoul continue to ease travel barriers. Korea has granted visa waivers to Chinese tour groups of three or more people since September, while China has allowed visa-free entry for Koreans since November 2024.

“The new measure is seen as a driving force that could significantly increase the number of frequent repeat visitors travelling for short weekend trips, K-pop, food and shopping,” said Jang Soo-cheong, a professor of hospitality and tourism management at Purdue University and director of Yanolja Research.

Despite a sharp increase in the number of Chinese travelers to Korea — reaching about 5.48 million in 2025 — the repeat-visit rate for Chinese travelers to Korea remained lower than for some other Asian destinations, according to data from the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, the rate of Chinese travelers revisiting Korea stood at 54.3 percent, lagging behind Japan’s 76.5 percent and Thailand’s 79.2 percent. The rate was also down from 57.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Analysts said it remained unclear how far the new measures would reshape travel patterns.

Visitors tour Changdeok Palace in Seoul, March 5. Yonhap

Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk, said Korea could become a less attractive option than Southeast Asian destinations due to higher travel costs.

“Airlines and industry bodies are already warning that the Middle East conflict is pushing up jet fuel costs and fares,” Bhatt said. “Once airfares rise, Korea starts looking less competitive against Southeast Asian destinations that are also close to China but often offer cheaper on-the-ground costs and, in some cases, more generous visa terms.”

Chinese outbound demand remained strong and had increasingly shifted toward Asia, Bhatt added, noting that travelers are flexible and could readily switch between Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam or Thailand depending on which offers greater value or convenience.

“The real battleground is no longer just access, but the overall traveler experience and price-value equation," the CEO said.

To capitalize on the new visa policy, Jang said Korea needed to upgrade its smart tourism infrastructure — including Alipay integration — expand higher-value tourism offerings such as beauty and medical services, curb overcharging and strengthen digital marketing.

In an editorial on Tuesday, Chinese state-owned media outlet Global Times wrote that “if South Korea wants to maintain and expand its market share, the key to seizing the initiative lies in showing sufficient sincerity.”

“China is not only South Korea’s largest source of tourists but also a key driver of the recovery of the tourism industry across the Asia-Pacific region," it said.