By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter
The government has decided to loosen visa restrictions for Chinese visitors to attract more wealthy consumers from the world's fastest growing economy, the Ministry of Justice said Thursday.
With Japan lowering visa issuance fees for Chinese tourists and taking other measures to draw more visitors from the Mainland, Korea competes to benefit from the growing number of China's rich middle-class travelers.
The ministry said it will issue more one-year multiple entry visas to the Chinese, enabling them to enter the country freely for 12 months. Currently, the majority of Chinese visitors are required to apply for a visa each time they come to Korea.
The government issues a multiple entry visa to a small number of Chinese people, including politicians, professors, doctors, lawyers and those with permanent residency in an OECD member country.
But more Chinese visitors will be able to come here frequently without applying for a visa each time, as teachers, retired government workers and graduates of prestigious universities will also be able to receive a multiple entry visa, meaning they can visit Korea as often as they want to during the valid period, usually one year.
Additionally, Chinese businessmen and tourists who transfer flights at Incheon International Airport and other airports in Korea will be given a visa to enter the country in a bid to encourage transit passengers to spend money here.
The ministry will hold a series of meetings in Shanghai on Thursday and Friday, with tourist agency representatives and visa screeners at Korea's diplomatic missions in China, before finalizing the measures. The changes will likely go into effect in the middle of July ahead of the summer vacation season.
``We are also considering issuing a one-time visa to family members of a visa holder without due process in a bid to encourage more Chinese people to vacation here with their family. We are consulting with tourism industry officials about easing rules on group visas for Chinese tourists,'' a ministry official said. ``The relaxed visa regulations for Chinese travellers who are unlikely to overstay their visa in Korea will boost the domestic tourism industry and create more jobs.''
According to the ministry, the number of Chinese visitors has continued to show an upward curve over the years, reaching 1.21 million in 2009, up sharply from 585,000 in 2005.
In an attempt to attract more Chinese visitors, Japan has recently lowered the tour visa issuance fee to 50,000 yuan from the previous 250,000 yuan, threatening Korea's efforts to become a major destination for Chinese tourists.