Hong Kong travel agencies adjust tour plans amid Korean protests

A protest for and towards President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment is held close to the presidential residence in Seoul, Jan. 6. Korea Instances picture by Choi Received-suk

Hong Kong journey businesses have adjusted their itineraries for journeys to Korea in response to latest protests, with one noting inquiries and registrations had dropped by as much as 30 % not too long ago.

Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, govt director of EGL Excursions, stated on Monday that whereas the political uncertainty had not had a considerable impression on the excursions his firm organized, adjustments to the schedules had been made.

„We skip some locations that we used to go to if protests have damaged out,“ he stated, referring to areas in Seoul close to the Workplace of the President in Yongsan district and the Sungnyemun Gate in Jung district, the place demonstrators had beforehand gathered and held rallies.

„Clients all understood the adjustments to the itineraries and we to date haven’t obtained any complaints from them,“ Huen stated, including that two of his firm’s tour teams had simply come again to Hong Kong.

Tour teams to the nation deliberate for the remainder of the month would depart as regular, he stated.

Korea has been in political turmoil since early December, when the now-suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol decreed martial regulation, solely to reverse the choice six hours later. He was later impeached and prosecutors tried to arrest him final week, solely to be rebuffed by his safety forces.

On Saturday and Sunday, 1000’s of protesters, each for and towards Yoon, gathered in entrance of his residence and alongside main roads in Seoul, calling for the impeachment to be declared invalid or demanding his arrest. The arrest warrant expired on Monday.

Overseas vacationers are seen at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Dec. 19, 2024. Yonhap

The Chinese language embassy in Seoul has reminded its nationals within the nation to keep away from protests, noting that Korea’s immigration regulation banned foreigners from collaborating in native political actions.

„[You should] preserve your distance from native political rallies and crowded locations. Don’t make public political speeches, take note of visitors management attributable to rallies, and guarantee private and journey security,“ the discover stated.

Yuen Chun-ning, chief govt officer of WWPKG journey company, stated his firm had organized journeys to the nation each day of this week, and they’d depart as scheduled.

„Thus far there has not been any impression on the excursions. However the political incidents have definitely curbed want to journey there,“ he stated.

Yuen stated that in latest days, buyer inquiries and registrations for journeys had dropped by 20 to 30 % in contrast with earlier than the political turmoil.

Freddy Yip Hing-ning, managing director of Goldjoy Journey, stated Korea remained probably the most common locations for Hongkongers.

Knowledge from Yanolja, Korea’s prime journey and lodging reserving platform operator, confirmed that Hong Kong ranked fifth by way of sources of vacationers, with greater than 250,000 visiting the nation within the first half of 2024.

Multiple million residents visited yearly earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020.

The Korea Tourism Group earlier sought to reassure guests that each day life within the nation remained the identical and vacationer websites have been working usually.

„The federal government continues to prioritize the protection and comfort of vacationers to Korea,“ it stated.

The Immigration Division stated it had not obtained any requests for assist from metropolis residents in Korea.

„The Immigration Division will proceed to remain in contact with the Workplace of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs in Hong Kong and the Chinese language embassy in Korea, intently monitoring the scenario because it unfolds,“ a spokesman stated.

The Safety Bureau stated no alert underneath the Outbound Journey Alert system had been issued for the nation to date.

The bureau up to date its journey reminder for the nation on December 4, wherein they requested residents to „monitor the scenario, train warning, attend to non-public security, keep away from massive gatherings of individuals and take note of native bulletins on the newest scenario.“

Learn the full story at SCMP.