Detentions of scores of mainlanders at Jeju airport could tarnish South Korea’s popularity with Chinese tourists
Visa-free entry for Chinese to scenic South Korean islands has turned out to be a mixed blessing
South Korea remained the most popular destination for outbound tourism during the past National Day holidays, although having dozens of mainland tourists denied entry at Jeju airport during the week might dampen tourists’ interest in future, analysts warned.
Although the volcanic island resort offers visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, scores were denied entry for various reasons and stranded in the restricted area in the airport, The Beijing News reported yesterday.
“South Korea is very popular and the visa-free policy on Jeju is especially attractive for those who haven’t planned their trip far in advance,” said Zhang Hui, a tourism management professor at Beijing Jiaotong University. “But denying entry to such a large number of visitors will definitely have an impact on future visitor numbers.”
But Cui Zhiying, a Korean affairs expert at Shanghai’s Tongji University，said such incidents were isolated and would not affect China-Korea relations.
More than 100 mainlanders were held in the restricted area during the holidays, some of them for up to five days, The Beijing News said.