Chinese tourists will be entitled to five-year, multiple-entry visas to South Korea from next week, the city's travel agencies announced yesterday, adding that the relaxed visa policy was to lure more Chinese tourists to South Korea.
Until recently, tourists from China could only apply for one or three-year multiple-entry visas to South Korea.
South Korea attracted the largest number of Chinese tourists with the figure reaching over 6.1 million. But the recent boom of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has put pressure on South Korea.
The new visa policy is expected to boost Chinese tourists' enthusiasm for multiply visits to the country, online travel operator Ctrip said.
Chinese tourists visiting Japan on cruise ships are able to enjoy free visa under a new policy announced late last month, and many Chinese tourists visited the country recently to appreciate cherry blossom season.
Thailand, South Korea and Japan had been the top three overseas destinations for organized Shanghai tours.
In 2013, South Korea replaced Japan to take the second spot for organized tours from Shanghai, according to a report by the Shanghai Tourism Administration.
South Korea is also a more popular shopping paradise than Hong Kong, the report said.
Women go to South Korea to buy cosmetics and clothing while people in their 20s and 30s are attracted by South Korean television dramas, Ctrip said yesterday.
