Amid the thawing relations between Seoul and Beijing,...
China's unofficial travel ban on group tours to South Korea... is gradually being lifted.
However,... many restrictions remain in place...
especially on businesses run by Lotte Group.
China has been playing hard ball with the conglomerate after it agreed to provide land
for the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system.
Yu Joonhee reports.
Earlier this week, China's tourism authorities,... began allowing travel agencies based in Beijing
and Shandong... to resume the sale of group tour packages to Korea.
Many business owners here in Korea,... for whom Chinese tourists provide their main source
of revenues... see it as a very positive sign.
(Korean) "Although the lifting of the ban was only
limited to Beijing and Shandong Province, we are welcoming the move as we thought China's
THAAD retaliations would last much longer."
However, the Korean duty-free and hotel industries have been left underwhelmed,... as China's
restrictions on chartered flights and large cruise ships...remain in place.
Securing more seats in more means of transportation... is seen to be essential in ferrying Chinese
group tourists into and around the country.
Beijing's retaliatory measures targeting Lotte Group and its affiliates in particular...
are also going strong.
Chinese authorities have reportedly told travel agencies... *not to include shopping and accommodations
provided by the Korean conglomerate.
(Korean) "We're only seeing this as a half-measure
due to the restrictions that are still in place for Lotte Group, which provided the
land for Korea's THAAD deployment."
Many industry officials share the view,... that China's partial lifting of its travel
ban will only have a limited effect on Korea's tourism industry.
However, hopes are still high... that further easing could take place,... ahead of a key
summit meeting between Korea and China scheduled in December.
Yu Joonhee, Arirang News.
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