KOREA TO PROVIDE FREE GROUP E-VISAS FOR VIETNAM

Recently, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of South Korea convened the “Korea Tourism Export Strategy Innovation Conference” in the city of Gwangju, aiming to attract over 20 million foreign tourists in 2024.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced the goal of promoting the development of the tourism industry, with a target of achieving a record-high revenue of $24.5 billion by 2024.

To achieve this goal, the South Korean government will broaden the provision of free electronic visas for group tourists and increase the limit for direct tax refunds at shopping points for tourists.

Specifically, the South Korean government will expand the list of countries eligible for free electronic visas for groups, initially provided only to China, to include Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia in 2024.

In addition, South Korea will double the maximum shopping limit for foreign tourists eligible for direct tax refunds to 5 million won (USD 3,800) starting from January 1, 2024.

To facilitate the movement of tourists within the country, the South Korean government will develop a reservation support application for public transportation dedicated to foreign tourists, while improving the English language services of the navigation application.

Government agencies also plan to expand the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tourism translation, making it easier for foreign tourists to travel to various regions across South Korea.

Source: Vietnaminsider