By Lee Hyo-sik
Chinese tourists have proved to be more lavish spenders than their Japanese counterparts as they purchase mostly cosmetics, clothes and other high-priced items. In contrast, Japanese visitors tend to buy dried seaweed and other modestly-priced food items as souvenirs.
In a survey of 300 Chinese and Japanese tourists conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), 32.2 percent of visitors from the mainland said they spent over $1,000 per person to purchase various goods here. But only 4.2 percent of Japanese respondents said they did the same.
About 81.5 percent of Japanese tourists said they spent less than $500 on shopping, compared with 37.9 percent among the Chinese.
The survey found that nearly 87 percent of Chinese visitors put cosmetics as a must-buy item, followed by food items at 54.9 percent. But 80.5 percent of Japanese said seaweed and other dried sea foods were on top of their shopping list, followed by cosmetics at 75.3 percent, and snacks and other groceries at 55.8 percent.
``Our survey shows that more Chinese tourists purchase cosmetics and other expensive items, reflecting their rising standard of living. On the other hand, Japanese visitors have become frugal shoppers, buying mostly lower-priced items amid the sluggish economic conditions back home,’’ a KCCI official said.
The official said an increasing number of tourists from China and other Asian countries come here for shopping, stressing tourism authorities and retail businesses should make more efforts to improve the shopping infrastructure.
Duty-free shops in downtown Seoul came out on top as a preferred place to shop, with 96.2 percent of Chinese tourists and 93 percent of Japanese doing most of their shopping there. Dongdaemun, Myeong-dong and Namdaemun are other popular shopping districts with the Chinese and Japanese tourists.
Nearly 90 percent of Chinese tourists said they are satisfied with their shopping experiences here, while only 36.4 percent of Japanese were pleased. The survey also found that 74 percent of Chinese visitors were willing to recommend visiting Korea to their friends and family members, compared with 58.6 percent among the Japanese.