South Korea proposes a new strategy to attract foreign tourists, Lee Jae-myung: Benefits should reach all parts of the country and measures should be taken to curb exploitative practices

On February 25th, the South Korean government held the “11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting” at Cheong Wa Dae. President Lee Jae-myung attended and emphasized the importance of boosting the local tourism market, while also calling for the crackdown on exploitative and deceptive practices targeting tourists. Lee Jae-myung stressed that the benefits of tourism development should reach small and micro businesses across the country, and that tourism policies should be adjusted accordingly. Currently, 80% of foreign visitors stay in Seoul. If this situation is not improved, the growth of the tourism industry will face bottlenecks. To achieve the goal of welcoming 30 million foreign tourists by 2030, a major shift from quantity to quality is necessary. Lee Jae-myung also pointed out that exploitative practices and aggressive solicitation harm local economic development and are acts of tyranny that must be eradicated. The Korean government proposed new strategies to attract more foreign tourists and develop local tourism. According to the plan, the government will increase international direct flights to regional airports, add customs inspection counters at regional ferry terminals, and actively attract foreign visitors to Korea to reach the goal of over 30 million foreign visitors as soon as possible.