South Korea's tourism community forecasts: China is expected to become the country's largest tourist source

Xinhua Seoul May 19 (reporter Kangalan) South Korea tourism community predicts that as the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea's recent sustained and steady growth, China will soon overtake Japan, the South Korean tourism industry's largest source country. South Korean tourist commune said 19th, although the Chinese tourists to South Korea in January this year, a year-on-year decrease of 1. 9%, 9. 12.52 million people, but the number of Chinese tourists has increased since February, reaching 14. 5.71 million times, an increase of 9. 8%. Chinese tourists reached 14 this March. 14.57 million times, an increase of 26.　　4%.　　South Korea's tourism community predicts that Chinese visitors will continue to rise sharply in April and May, with a year-on-year increase of 37% and 64% per cent respectively.　　Analysts point out that the appreciation of the renminbi and the simplification of travel procedures in Korea are the main reasons for the rapid growth of Chinese tourists. Last year, as the yen strengthened, Japanese tourists poured into South Korea, Japan became South Korea's largest source of tourists. But since the beginning of this year, the number of Japanese tourists has been significantly reduced, January to the Korean tourism of Japanese tourists 20. 91.84 million people, down 12% year-on-year, the number of Japanese tourists in February and March also continued to decline.　　It is predicted that the decline in Japanese tourists in April and May will continue. In addition, a recent survey of overseas tourists spending in South Korea in Seoul City shows that Chinese tourists spend the most on their purchases, with a per capita spending of $2203, which is 32% higher than the average consumption of overseas tourists in South Korea.