| Allow to stay in Korea for one to two years while working…Two years of training based on the premise of taking the K-pop Korean Wave
| Government Confirms 6th Basic Plan for Tourism Promotion…Declaring the Year of Visit to Korea Next Year

 

Incheon International Airport

 

The government has confirmed a plan to take another leap forward in the tourism industry, which aims to attract 30 million foreign tourists and $30 billion in tourism revenue a year by 2027.

 

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over the 7th National Tourism Strategy Meeting at the "Hiker Ground," a Korean tourism promotion center, on the afternoon of the 12th, and deliberated and decided on the 6th Basic Tourism Promotion Plan from 2023 to 2027, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a press release.

The National Tourism Strategy Meeting is chaired by the Prime Minister under the Framework Act on Tourism and serves as a "control tower" to establish, implement and coordinate major tourism-related plans with related ministers.

 

The basic plan aims to achieve ▲ 30 million foreign tourists ▲ 30 billion dollars in tourism income ▲ 15 days of domestic travel ▲ 50 trillion won in domestic travel expenditure.

 

As of 2019, the figure exceeds 17.5 million, $20.7 billion, 12.9 days, and 44 trillion won, respectively

 

As for the four major strategic tasks, ▲ realizing a tourism attractive country visited by people around the world ▲ innovation in the tourism industry made with the field ▲ domestic tourism that grows with the people ▲ revitalizing the local economy by fostering original tourism resources.

 

Cho Yong-man, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The current government's vision for tourism is largely summarized as K-culture and various deregulation," adding, "Our tourism industry should definitely leap forward again with a K-culture that receives a lot of attention around the world."

 

The government plans to first declare 2023 to 2024 as the Year of Visiting Korea and conduct joint public-private marketing such as discounts on flights, lodging, shopping, and food and beverage.

 

It also announced that it will hold "mega events" such as "K Tourism Road Show" and Hallyu concerts in the world's top 50 cities to hold various events throughout the year. It is a so-called "Never Ending K Culture" event.

 

It also proposed a plan to develop and expand content that combines K-culture and tourism.

 

It announced that it will create content that will increase the revisit rate of foreign tourists through high-end Korean food experiences or golf competitions and academies based on the recognition of Korean professional golfers.

 

It also announced a plan to expand the foundation for high-end tourism by establishing a terminal dedicated to private jets at Incheon Airport.

 

The presidential office will also actively use it. The government announced that it will make Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun, Bukchon, and Seochon areas into historical and cultural tourism clusters centered on Cheong Wa Dae and make them new tourist landmarks in Korea.

 

In order to enhance the convenience of foreign tourists, it plans to introduce a "collective group review" in the electronic travel permit system from 2023, and expand multilingual guidance.

 

In particular, it announced that it will also expand the attraction of Southeast Asian audiences such as Japan and Taiwan, the main markets for visiting Korea, by establishing a new visa application center in the Philippines and expanding visa-free special cases at local airports.

 

The number of duty-free shops that immediately refund VAT for foreign tourists will be expanded to 4,600 (3,800 in 2023) by 2027.

 

In order to attract long-term tourism, a work visa (tentatively named digital nomad visa) and a K-culture training visa will be established by 2023. The work visa is a system introduced in some advanced countries, including Australia and Portugal, that allows foreigners to maintain their work activities and stay in Korea for one to two years. The K-culture training visa refers to a maximum of two years of training visa paid on the premise of taking Korean Wave-related education such as K-pop.

 

It will also improve difficulties in the industry for innovation in the tourism industry.

 

▲ Reasonable adjustment of transportation inducement charges in the hotel industry ▲ Extension of VAT refund for foreign tourists by 2025 ▲ Easing regulations on employment of foreign workers ▲ Establishment of 500 billion won for tourism enterprise promotion fund by 2027 ▲ Expansion of domestic and foreign tourism enterprise support center was mainly proposed.

 

In addition, in order to foster the high value-added tourism market, the government will ease the criteria for designating excellent medical tourism attraction institutions and expand the scale of designation. It was also decided to promote pre- and post-management for foreign patients through non-face-to-face consultation with local medical staff.

 

As a way to promote domestic travel demand, the tentatively named "Travel Earn Card" will be created. The plan is to provide intensive travel benefits scattered across the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, local governments, tourism industries, and public institutions, and introduce domestic travel incentives.

 

It plans to create 10 pet-friendly tourism maps by 2027.

 

In order to revitalize local tourism, the establishment of a K-tourism resort belt (2024-2033), a travel-friendly work system (work), and the development of tourism products "living like locals" were promoted.

 

"Tourism is an industry where all fields such as culture, economy, diplomacy, environment, and safety are concentrated and an important axis of the balance of payments," Prime Minister Han said in his opening statement.

 

 

 Yeonhap News 2022. 12. 12

 

* an original article : https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20221212115851001