Core Insights - The recent holiday period saw a significant increase in Chinese tourists visiting South Korea, contributing to the recovery of the tourism market between the two countries [1][2][3] - The implementation of visa-free policies for group tourists is expected to further boost travel demand, with projections indicating that around 1 million Chinese tourists could visit South Korea during the policy period [2][3] - The overall tourism landscape is shifting towards experience-based consumption rather than shopping, with new projects being developed to attract tourists [11][12] Group 1: Tourism Demand and Trends - During the recent National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, Myeongdong in Seoul was crowded with Chinese tourists, indicating a strong recovery in tourism [2] - Online travel platform Ctrip reported a 357% year-on-year increase in group travel bookings to South Korea following the announcement of the visa-free policy [2] - The number of Chinese tourists entering South Korea in September reached 525,000, marking a 16.4% increase year-on-year, with expectations for further growth in the autumn and winter seasons [3] Group 2: Economic Impact - The Bank of Korea estimates that an increase of 1 million Chinese group tourists could boost South Korea's GDP by 0.08 percentage points [2] - The tourism and retail sectors in South Korea are expected to see sustained growth in the second half of the year due to the visa-free measures [5] - The recovery of air routes between China and South Korea is anticipated to support the upcoming tourism peak, with a reported 24.4% increase in passengers on these routes in the first half of the year [5] Group 3: Visitor Profiles and Preferences - Ctrip's analysis indicates that the majority of Chinese tourists interested in South Korea are young, with 33% being post-90s and 27% post-80s [5] - Popular destinations among Chinese tourists include Seoul, Jeju, and Busan, with a focus on deep experiences and personalized services [5] - The demand for cultural experiences and local interactions is rising, with a shift towards exploring Korean daily life rather than just shopping [11][12] Group 4: Strategic Developments - South Korean companies are collaborating with Chinese travel agencies to develop new tourism products, such as K-POP experiences and health tourism [11] - The Korean government is enhancing digital tourism services and improving payment options to facilitate Chinese tourist spending [11] - Recommendations for improving the tourism experience include optimizing entry processes and providing multilingual services to cater to Chinese visitors [9][12]