President Lee Jae-myung said on the 25th that "tourism policies like Gangjin County's 'half-price travel' program, which reduces travel costs while directing benefits to local small business owners, should be expanded." He also pointed to unfair practices such as price gouging and aggressive touting, emphasizing that "malicious exploitation must be rooted out."
At the expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting held at the Blue House, President Lee stated that "if we remain satisfied with the reality that 80% of foreign tourists are concentrated in Seoul, we will inevitably hit a limit." The president personally chairing the meeting for the first time in seven years since 2019 is interpreted as demonstrating his commitment to developing the tourism industry as a "core national strategic industry."
In ministry reports, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to pilot visa-free entry for group tourists of three or more from Indonesia, a key tourism market. Twelve Asian countries whose citizens have previously visited Korea will be eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas, while China and Vietnam will see their multiple-entry visas extended from five to ten years. Other initiatives include a price guarantee system to prevent overcharging (Ministry of Economy and Finance) and regional airport hub development (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport). The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to advance its goal of attracting 30 million tourists from 2030 to 2029.
Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla and chairperson of the Visit Korea Year Committee, attended the meeting and pledged robust support, saying "We will work with companies and relevant ministries to resolve any inconveniences in payment, transportation, and tourism information."