Japanese flock to Korea
The year-end has always been a high season for Japanese tourists, but their presence in Seoul this year is greater than ever, Korea Herald reported.
It said the steep appreciation of the yen against the won has made travelling and shopping in Korea a great draw for the Japanese since October.
The report said department stores and duty free shops were full of Japanese women scoring Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags at less than half the price in Japan.
“Everything is so cheap. The more I shop the more I feel like saving money,” a Japanese tourist was quoted saying.
At Lotte Duty Free Shop in downtown Seoul, for instance, Japanese tourists account for 80% of the customer base these days.
According to figures from Korean Air, Japanese passengers’ reservation rate for this month and January had risen 35% and 26%, respectively, year-on-year.
Adding to the lure of favourable exchange rate is the blossoming medical tourism industry in Korea. The reports said the Seoul Tourism Organization had recently introduced a three-day tour package that includes a medical skincare service at a well-known dermatologist clinic.
The organisation has joined hands with Japan’s travel agency KNT for marketing. The package is currently sold only in Nagoya, but will be sold throughout Japan from next March.
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