Chinese tourists are back (in groups) at this tourist hotspot in Seoul
Myeong-dong, Seoul’s signature shopping hub, is undergoing a revival as China lifts the curtain on group tours to Korea.
The sight of Chinese tourists, armed with shopping agendas curated by social media, and cramming their bags with sought-after Korean beauty items, is once again becoming a common spectacle.
As this retail heartland of Korea pulses back to life, the nation’s tourism sector and government bodies are gearing up for the expected surge of Chinese visitors, traditionally a hefty segment of the country’s incoming tourists.
The energy was unmistakable in Myeong-dong on Friday.
Foreign tourists, predominantly Chinese, navigated through the myriad of stores, interacting with shop assistants via their smartphones.
A Chinese traveler in her 20s shared that she crafted a shopping list of Korean beauty items after scouring reviews on social media.
She has heard that the face masks and lotions here are reasonably priced and of superb quality, thus justifying her bulk purchases as gifts for her loved ones.
Numerous cosmetics stores in the shopping district are bracing themselves for the return of Chinese travelers, known to be passionate about Korean beauty products.
Some have even put up welcome signs in Mandarin.
Kim, a manager at a cosmetics store, noted that local merchants believe it’s only a matter of time before Chinese visitor numbers surge following the lifting of group tour restrictions last week.
“We welcome all travelers, but with the return of Chinese group tours, we expect to see an increase in sales. That’s why we’re hiring staff who can speak Mandarin so that we can cater to Chinese visitors better,” she commented.
The easing of restrictions has been greeted with optimism in the area, with many other stores actively seeking Mandarin-speaking staff to cope with the expected uptick in Chinese visitors.
As per the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s annual report on inbound tourists released in 2020, an average Chinese tourist spent around $1,239 in Korea in 2019.
Hence, the 6.02 million Chinese tourists who visited Korea that year accounted for about 36% of the country’s yearly tourism revenue.
However, the number of Chinese visitors plunged from a record 6.02 million in 2019 to a mere 227,358 last year.
But with restrictions eased, the resurgence has been noticeable this year, with 546,393 Chinese tourists visiting Korea between January and June.
This figure represents an increase of over 7x from the same period last year and is predicted to rise further with the inrush of group tourists.
In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has rolled out a series of initiatives to attract Chinese travelers.
These include expanding mobile payment systems like Alipay and WeChatPay at shops and eateries.
The Seoul city government also plans to launch a special welcoming week from 29 September to 6 October 2023 for Chinese visitors for the first time since 2019.
The week will feature an array of events, including drone shows over the Han River, a fireworks festival, and event booths at airports and landmarks, including Myeong-dong and Gwanghwamun.
The city government has also advised Seoul’s special tourism zones to display prices at stores to prevent overcharging.
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