Tour guides for Chinese visitors face strict monitoring

By Kim Rahn

Travel agencies caught hiring unlicensed guides for Chinese tourists on three occasions will be banned from catering to Chinese travelers, the government said Wednesday.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a set of measures to enhance the quality of tour guides for Chinese visitors as the number of travelers from the neighboring country is skyrocketing.

“Some guides provide incorrect information about Korea’s history and cultural heritage, while some agencies present low-priced, low-quality tour programs,” Kim Ki-hong, director general of the ministry’s tourism bureau, said in a media briefing in Seoul.

“These disturb the market order and decrease travelers’ satisfaction, eventually resulting in bad image of Korea,” he said.

The ministry estimates the number of guides for Chinese tourists at 6,450 and presumes less than half of them are licensed, as agencies hire unlicensed guides to cut costs. The Korea Tourist Police has spotted 360 unlicensed guides since its launch in October 2013.

“Travel agencies attracting Chinese group tourists should be certified by the ministry. If they are disqualified, they cannot bring in Chinese tourists at all as they cannot do visa work on their behalf. So, the disqualification is a stern punitive measure,” Kim said.

The ministry will also strengthen education for licensed guides.

Guides will have to take more lectures on Korean history and work ethics besides current training given by the Korea Tourist Guide Association, which organizes the test for the license.

The ministry will also oblige guides to renew their licenses every five years. The Korea Tourism Organization will become a control tower for guide management by setting up a database of tour guides and opening a website that links agencies with guides.

The authority will expand the number of guides with expertise in history who are stationed at major tourist spots such as Gyeongbok Palace from the current 12 to 50.

To check whether tourist guides provide correct information about Korean history and culture, the ministry will conduct undercover monitoring. It will also check whether agencies and guides abide by standard terms for guide employment and education.

“The number of Chinese visitors is hiking, but the number increase doesn’t mean everything. There are dark sides, such as poor tour programs, and we need to solve such problems for true development of Korea’s tourism,” Kim said.

The number of inbound Chinese travelers has increased by 34 percent on average annually for the last five years, from 1.3 million in 2009 to 4.32 million in 2013. During China’s National Day holiday between Oct. 1 and 7, 164,000 people came to Korea, up 38 percent from the previous year. The ministry forecasts 6 million Chinese will visit Korea this year.