Inbound South Korean group tours rise 110 pct in three weeks

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.

Inbound South Korean group tours rise 110 pct in three weeks

As vote counting begun following Ireland's general election on Friday, exit polls show a neck-and-neck race between the country's three major political parties, with Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, taking a narrow lead. 

Voting concluded at 22:00 on Friday night and counting began on Saturday morning as Ireland's 3.8 million voters choose new members of the 174-seat lower chamber of parliament, the Dail. 

While the final outcome may take several days to determine, an exit poll of some 5,000 people on Friday has given a clear indication of the result. 

The poll puts Sinn Fein on 21.1 percent, just ahead of Fine Gael on 21 percent, and Fianna Fail on 19.5 percent. 

For over a century since Ireland's independence, every government has been led by one of two main political parties--Fianna Fail and Fine Gael-- both seen as centre-right parties. However, the 2020 general election marked a shift, when Sinn Fein emerged as the second-largest party and largest opposition force in parliament. 

Sinn Fein, a left-wing, radical party, has a significant edge among younger voters and low-income groups. It advocates for social reforms and champions the idea of a unified Ireland by any means, including the use of force. 

Political analysts suggest that under Ireland's electoral system known as proportional representation, it is unlikely any single party will secure an outright majority in parliament. While Sinn Fein is expected to win a narrow majority of votes in this election, forming a coalition government afterwards remains a challenge for the party. 

Some analysts believe that if Sinn Fein successfully forms a coalition with other parties, the issue of Irish reunification could shift from the fringes to the center of the country's political agenda.

Sinn Fein holds slim lead in Irish general election: exit poll