Chinese group tours growing in ROK   

韩国专门承办中国团体游客旅行社剧增 已达179家

据韩联社报道，韩国旅游业协会9日消息，专门承办中国游客来韩团体旅游业务的旅行社从10年前的56家增至今年5月的179家，增速迅猛。

ECNS — The number of travel agencies specializing in Chinese group tours in South Korea has increased to 179 this May, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.

Data shows that the number of travel agencies specializing in Chinese group tour services in South Korea stood at 70 in 2003, 85 in 2005 and 97 in 2007, according to the South Korea Tourism Association.

Some 723,000 Chinese tourists travelled to the country in the first quarter of this year, while the number of Japanese tourists stood at 713,000.

As the number of Chinese tourists is expected to surpass those from Japan this year, many travel agencies in South Korea that intend to develop services for Chinese frequently call our hotline for advice, the association said.

In addition to meeting registration requirements of the tourism industry, selected requirements set by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also must be met, said the association.