▲ Photo = Jeju Special Self-governing Province

As many countries across the world seek to return to normal life after COVID-19 and lower barriers to overseas travel, Jeju is striving to swiftly respond in anticipation of the resumption of international tourism.

In accordance with the implementation of the quarantine exemption policy for fully-vaccinated overseas entrants (March 21, 2022), Jeju Special Self-governing Province visited the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on March 23 and the Ministry of Justice on the 30th of the same month to propose the swift introduction of the agenda to withdraw the temporary suspension of visa-free entry to Jeju during the weekly situational assessment meeting for overseas entry at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH).

Furthermore, in order to restore international flight routes that had been suspended for the past two years, Jeju is preparing to recover the demand among overseas tourists through efforts such as arranging chartered flights and devising plans to provide incentives for the resumption of direct flights.

Meanwhile, it is conducting a promotional and marketing campaign for Jeju tourism targeting local consumers to accelerate the substantive demand for overseas tourists.

Jeju is also promoting its local culture including popular tourist destinations and haenyeo culture among local people and large-scale travel companies in partnership with the Jeju Tourism Organization, the Jeju Special Self-governing Provincial Tourism Association, and Korea Tourism Organization through overseas tourism promotion offices based in a total of 11 locations.

It will also strengthen its marketing activities to promote experiential, healing, and eco-friendly content that can only be enjoyed in Jeju, such as Clean Olleh, which seeks to clean up the environment while traveling along the Olleh Trail, and plogging (JubJEN (Jeju Eco-friendly Network)).

In addition to introducing K-pop music videos and TV show shooting locations with the aim to appeal to the overseas Millennial generation, it also plans to attract Muslim tourists in collaboration with 29 Muslim-friendly restaurants. There are also special-purpose tourism marketing campaigns for activities such as cycling and hiking.

In particular, through April to May, Jeju plans to host a business-to-business consultation expo (B2B Travel Mart) for local airlines, travel companies and tourism product developers in countries whose international tourism markets have opened already, such as the Philippines, Mongolia, Malaysia and Vietnam, in order to restore the international network among tourism-related businesses that faced difficulties due to the sudden drop in overseas tourists. To this end, it will strategically arrange chartered flights and promote the joint development of Jeju-based tourism products.