Tourism

Korea offers free group visas for Vietnamese visitors

According to VnExpress • December 10, 2023 20:59

South Korea will waive group visa fees for some countries, including Vietnam, to achieve the goal of welcoming 20 million international visitors by 2024.

At a conference to promote tourism development held in Gwangju city on December 8, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo set a goal of attracting more than 20 million visitors and tourism revenue reaching 24.5 billion USD by 2024.

Accordingly, the Korean government will expand the list of countries exempted from group visa fees and change some policies on tax refunds at shopping locations for international visitors. From January 1, 2024, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia will be exempted from group visa fees. Previously, Korea only applied this policy to China.

Khách du lịch trải nghiệm làng Bukchon Hanok Village. Ảnh: Prasit photo — Tourists experience Bukchon Hanok Village

In addition, to facilitate domestic travel for tourists, the Korean government will build an application to support reservations on public transportation for international visitors, with English. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology in translation will also help tourists from all over the world travel more conveniently within Korea.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea has dropped sharply following the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the government aims to revive and improve the tourism industry by encouraging tourists to visit more often and extend their stay.

According to VnExpress