Korea acts to woo Vietnam tourists after MERS outbreak

Kang Sungghil, chief representative of KTO in Vietnam, told a pressconference on Tuesday that MERS had dealt a blow to South Korea’stourism industry.

Last month alone saw 60% of the bookings for South Korea tours canceledin some markets like Japan and China. The disease also hit revenues andoperations of travel firms, airlines and other corporate partners ofKTO, he said.

But there have been positive signs for Korean tourism as the northeastAsian country has reported no new MERS infections or deaths in the past20 days.

Kang said Korea would soon declare the MERS outbreak is over.

KTO has coordinated with five airlines and seven travel firms to bringVietnamese travelers back to Korea under the travel stimulus programdescribed as the biggest of the year for the Vietnamese market.

According to Le Thi Thu Trang, head of marketing at KTO in Vietnam, KTOwill give VND1 million and shopping vouchers applicable to the Lotteduty free shop at Incheon International Airport to the first 1,200customers buying Korea tours at Vietravel, Hanoi Red Tours, Vietrantour,Saigontourist, TransViet Travel, TST Tourist and Thang Long GTC.

Besides, there are 1,100 gifts, cards to access VIP Hub Lounge atIncheon and shopping vouchers of the Lotte duty free shop for 1,100customers buying air tickets to Korea in the period as part of theprogram running until September 21.

Besides support from KTO, travel firms have pledged to offer Vietnamesetourists discounts and tours to more destinations in Korea.

Le Thi Kim Anh, deputy director of Vietnam Airlines’ northern regionoffice, said the carrier would provide a 30% discount for touriststraveling to Korea in groups with return airfares starting from US$220,free ticket cancellations and an extra 10kg baggage allowance.

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice has also decided to exempt visa forgroups of tourists organized by travel firms accredited by the Koreanembassy and guaranteed by one of the 500 biggest enterprises in Vietnamfrom July 6 to September 30.

People, who were granted visa to Korea from March 1 to June 30, will have their visas extended from three months to six months.

“We look to attract 200,000 Vietnamese tourists this year. However, dueto the MERS outbreak, we expect the figure to range from 160,000 to180,000,” Kang said.

Korea acts to woo Vietnam tourists after MERS outbreak

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