After Japan, Korean Language Everywhere in Zhangjiajie... Chinese Tourist Spots Reviving

30% of Foreign Tourists Are Korean

Hunan Province's Zhangjiajie, a representative tourist destination in China, is gaining momentum due to the increased number of Korean tourists visiting.

According to local media such as Xinzhou Daily on the 20th, tourist destinations in China, which suffered significant damage over the past three years due to the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine controls, are regaining vitality as tourists flock back.

Among them, Zhangjiajie has been loved by many tourists for its outstanding scenery, so remarkable that it was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1992. However, due to measures such as restrictions on tourist visas and suspension of flights, the number of Korean tourists, who accounted for the largest proportion of foreign tourists, drastically decreased, causing great difficulties.

Zhangjiajie Revitalized by Recovery of Korean Tourists.
[Image Source=Yonhap News·Xinhua]

Then, with the border lockdown lifted this year, Korean tourists gradually returned, revitalizing Zhangjiajie's tourism industry. According to data from the Zhangjiajie Tourism Bureau, among the 289,700 foreign tourists who visited Zhangjiajie from January to August this year, Korean tourists accounted for one-third.

Accordingly, efforts to attract Korean tourists are reportedly being actively carried out. Local media reported, "Korean tourists can be easily seen everywhere in Zhangjiajie," adding, "Restaurants selling Korean food are thriving, and even Korean currency is circulating, making it reminiscent of a Korean tourist spot."

Popular Chinese Tourist Destination 'Zhangjiajie' Among Korean Seniors

The number of Korean tourists visiting Zhangjiajie, which was only 116 people in 1998, accounting for 2.3% of foreign tourists, rose to become the most popular Chinese tourist destination among Koreans after the Korea Tourism Organization actively promoted it in 2001.

In particular, Zhangjiajie tourism authorities launched a large-scale campaign targeting Koreans with the promotional slogan, "If you have never been to Zhangjiajie in your lifetime, how can you be called an elder (老翁) even if you are 100 years old?" to encourage filial piety tourism for seniors, achieving great success.

In 2009, among Korean tourists visiting Zhangjiajie, 80% were aged 45 or older, and the proportion of seniors aged 65 or older reached 42%.

Local media noted that more than half of the Korean tourists visiting Zhangjiajie are repeat visitors who have come two or more times, expressing expectations that the return of Korean tourists will greatly help local foreign currency income and improve the living standards of those working in the tourism industry.

However, there are also concerns that Zhangjiajie should not be complacent with the current situation. Guilin, a tourist city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was greatly loved by Koreans over 20 years ago but gradually lost favor. Local media stated, "Popular tourist destinations can change at any time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.