QINGDAO -- Group tour bookings from South Korea to China jumped by 110 percent month on month in three weeks from Nov 1 to 21, according to data released by South Korea's largest travel agency on Nov 25.

China announced on Nov 1 that it will apply trial visa exemption to South Korean ordinary passport holders for short-term business, tourism, family and friend visits, and transit from Nov 8, 2024 to December 31, 2025.
Although November is typically an off-season for South Korean tourists, the visa-free policy has apparently inspired their interest in traveling to China.
Aside from Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province and Changbai Mountain in the northeast, which are traditionally popular attractions to South Korean travelers, other places like Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province have seen an influx of tourists from the Northeast Asian country. Notably, trip bookings to Chinese metropolis Shanghai surged by 178 percent in the three weeks month on month.
Also noteworthy is that an increasing number of young South Koreans has shown interest in visiting China.
To satisfy their cravings for authentic Chinese food, some South Korean travel agencies have launched culinary tours to cities such as southwest China's Chongqing, which boasts hot pot, and Dalian City in the northeast, which is famous for dumplings.
Many South Korean tourists who love Chinese movies and TV series travel to Hengdian and other film and television bases to immerse themselves in Chinese productions.
Starting from Saturday, China extends the visa-free stay for South Korea's ordinary passport holders to 30 days. The extension could drive up the demand for travel to China surpassing the peak season level in summer, said South Korea's tourism industry analysts.