Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young will greet Chinese tourists at a "Welcome Event Zone" jointly operated by the Korea Tourism Organization and Alipay in front of Migliore in Myeongdong, Seoul, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The minister plans to hear from visitors about their experiences in Korea, their wishes for traveling in the country, and destinations they would like to visit.
With a record-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday running from Jan. 15 to 23, the ministry expects a significant surge in Chinese tourists. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will work with the Korea Association of Travel Agents to prevent safety incidents and actively respond to complaints at tourist sites.
Minister Choi had previously asked the association to actively participate in creating a safe travel environment during the holiday period. The association has notified China-specialized travel agencies to strengthen safety management for Chinese tourists, immediately report any safety incidents to the association, and minimize inconveniences.
In cases of unauthorized departure by Chinese tourists, the association will immediately report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Justice's Immigration Office.
The ministry earlier forecast that up to 190,000 Chinese tourists will visit Korea during this Lunar New Year holiday—a 44% increase from the daily average during last year's holiday.