Tourists troop back to South Korea after MERS outbreak

SEOUL – Foreign tourists are trooping back to the busy streets of Myeongdong, South Korea’s popular shopping district, after the three-month outbreak of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that killed 36 people and sickened nearly 200 in this developed nation.

The three-day national holiday for the celebration of the 70th Independence Day of South Korea over the weekend saw locals and foreigners filling cosmetic shops in this shopping haven – without anyone wearing a surgical mask.

One reason for the jam-packed Myeongdong is the “super sale” of products in popular shops with discounts of as much as 50 percent.

Popular tourist attractions like the Gyeongbokjung Palace were likewise crowded, but this time without the fear of the deadly MERS-CoV.

The outbreak has also developed health awareness among locals and tourists here, as shown by the use of hand sanitizers in every tourist site and establishment.

Moonjon Kim, deputy director for Asia and Middle East of the Korea Tourism Organization, said tourist arrival has been “going back to normal” since the government declared Korea free from MERS-CoV in late July.

“Tourism arrival dropped significantly because of the MERS virus. But since the government declared Korea to be now MERS-free, it is on its way up again,” he told visiting journalists and travel agents from the Philippines and Vietnam yesterday.

Sang-Wook Bae, general manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania of flag carrier Korean Air, revealed that tourist arrivals from the region dropped by 30 percent in June and July as compared to the previous year.

“But now, it’s again rising and hopefully we go back to normal soon… If you walk through the streets of Seoul, you will no longer see people wearing masks. This means there’s no more scare,” he pointed out.

Thanh Ha Pham, a Vietnamese tourist, said it is actually a perfect time to come to Korea and take advantage of the super sale in shops here.

“These (Korean cosmetic products) are much cheaper as compared to the prices (back) in our country. I’m buying a lot,” she said.

But South Korean officials admitted that there are more tasks at hand for Korea’s tourism to return to what it was prior to the MERS outbreak last May.

Both the government and private sectors have started a campaign to promote tourism in South Korea abroad. Free medical insurance was also offered to tourists as part of the promotion.

Apart from shopping and attractions, medical tourism in South Korea – known for cosmetic surgery – was also developed.

Earlier this month, Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon visited three cities in China – Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing – to promote tourism to one of their biggest foreign markets.

The mayor, in his capacity as head of the Headquarters for Tourism Measures, is personally leading the efforts to revitalize the stagnant tourism market in Seoul, citing tourism as a means of quickly reviving Seoul’s economy in the aftermath of the MERS-CoV outbreak. 

“Due to the recent MERS outbreak, a great many tourists have cancelled their trips to Seoul, causing considerable difficulty for not only tourism businesses such as travel agencies, transportation companies and food and hospitality businesses, but also for Seoul’s overall economy,” Park said.

“At this moment, we have a critical window of opportunity to revive the economy. Therefore, all of us, including the government and private sector, need to work together to quickly breathe life back into our stagnant economy. We will do our best to prevent Seoul from becoming mired in low growth and high unemployment,” he added.