South Korea is experiencing a thaw in tourism relations with China despite having to deal with many economic and geopolitical disagreements. Following the recent lifting of a long-standing prohibition on group travel to South Korea by Chinese officials, Seoul's Ministry of Tourism unveiled a multifaceted plan to draw over 1.5 million Chinese visitors by the end of the current year.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea received over 5 million Chinese tourists yearly. The numbers sharply decreased, first as a result of Beijing's 2017 restriction on group travel (a step taken in retaliation for South Korea's deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system), and then as a result of the pandemic. The Ministry of Tourism is actively trying to reignite interest among Chinese tourists following the easing of the travel restriction three weeks ago.

South Korea is implementing multiple incentives in response to a recent Chinese cruise ship visit to Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination. The opening of new visa application facilities, the expansion of air routes, and the provision of financial incentives, such as VAT or visa fee refunds for group reservations, are a few examples. The integration of popular payment services like WeChat Pay and Alipay is also in development, as are tourism initiatives tailored specifically to Chinese interests.

The government's ambitious plan to welcome 2 million Chinese tourists by 2023 aims to increase GDP by 0.16 percentage points. Given the recent rise of anti-China sentiment among the South Korean population, there is still some concern about how this endeavor may be perceived locally.