China unilaterally waived visas for visits up to 15 days for South Korean nationals on 8 November. From 17 December, transit passengers can stay without a visa for 240 hours, up from 72 and 144 hours for different countries. Since then, Korean visitors have been flocking to cities in China, especially Shanghai. This continued after the holiday season, and by mid-January, many Korean visitors are what’s called “special forces” visitors that arrive on Fridays after work and spend the weekend in the Eastern China city. It was also reported that Shanghai had beaten Tokyo to become the top winter destination for Koreans.
The scenic mountains in Zhangjiajie were once the top destination for Korean visitors to China, especially those travelling with older family members. But, since China’s unilateral visa waiver, younger Korean visitors are travelling by themselves or with friends, and Shanghai has become the most popular place to visit. Data from Ctrip shows that South Korean visitors grew 15% after the visa waiver and is up 150% year-on-year (YoY). The top 3 destinations for Korean visitors are Shanghai, Qingdao and Beijing. Shanghai saw a 180% increase YoY in comparison to 40% before the visa waiver.
From Korean platform Naver to Xiaohongshu, South Korean visitors share content about their visits in abundance, and the top three “must-dos” are currently eating lamb skewer barbeque + drinking Tsingtao beer, the free fruits at Haidilao hot pot restaurants, and the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. HeyTea is also popular among Korean tourists.
Local shops are updating their social media to emulate styles on Instagram to attract Koreans, as Korean visitors typically have a large budget for accommodation, dining and shopping. Many hope this would alleviate the stagnating consumption of the city, which saw retail revenue drop 3.1% in the first 11 months of 2024, while dining and accommodation decreased 5.3%.
