A woman paints parasols at a stand to promote Thai tourism yesterday at the Shanghai World Travel Fair. The event runs through Sunday. (Photo: Shanghai Daily/Wang Rongjiang)
South Korea last year replaced Thailand as the most popular overseas destination for tour groups from Shanghai, a study has said.
A total of 563,200 people traveled to South Korea as members of group tours in 2014, an increase of 30 percent from the previous year, according to a report released at the Shanghai World Travel Fair, which opened yesterday.
Thailand and Japan ranked second and third on the list.
Tourism experts attending a forum at the fair said South Korea's popularity is due to its good shopping facilities, plastic surgery clinics and the rising influence of its TV stars.
It is also a favored destination for Chinese people seeking a driving licence.
"Many Chinese have come to Chungcheongbuk (a South Korean province) for a license in recent years. We even have Chinese teachers," said an unnamed tourism official.
Reuters reported last year that nearly 70,000 Chinese had become holders of South Korean driving licenses in the previous three years.
It takes about a week and costs 5,000 yuan (US$805) for a Chinese national to get an international driving license in South Korea. In Shanghai, the process can take up to a year and costs twice as much.
When people return home, they can convert their foreign licences into local ones, the Shanghai vehicle administration office said.
The 12th World Travel Fair runs until Sunday at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.
