On March 5, according to the "Korea Times" and other reports, Seoul, South Korea, announced that it would increase its efforts to rectify unreasonable low-cost tours to prevent such behaviors from damaging Seoul's reputation as a popular tourist destination.
"Dumped tourism" refers to tour groups launched by travel agencies at ultra-low prices. Some travel agencies bring tourists to stores and force them to buy ** products such as cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and duty-free goods. Often, these travel agencies hire substandard tour guides or compensate tour guides with shopping-related kickbacks. Duty-free shops, souvenir shops and other shopping spots appear frequently in tourist itineraries, causing many complaints from tourists.
Most of the sightseeing spots selected by these low-cost tours are non-admission fees. Due to the large number of tourists flocking to the area, complaints about noise and traffic congestion have been sparked around the free attractions.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to take strict response measures to ensure the quality of tourism in Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Government** has decided to rectify unqualified tour guides, prohibit the use of social media ** to sell tourism items that do not involve domestic travel agencies or travel interpreters, and will cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea to prevent travel agencies from providing "dumped tourism" products.
In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government** will share the findings with the Chinese Embassy in South Korea, urging penalties for unreasonably low-cost tours under Chinese law. In the future, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand the Illegal Tourism Activity Reporting Center and crack down on various illegal and unreasonable behaviors through the Ombudsman System.