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Jeju surpasses 1 mil. monthly tourists
A record number of domestic and international travelers have been flocking to Jeju Island,
one of Korea's premiere tourist destinations. The southern coastal region received more
monthly visitors in April than at any other time in its history.
Our Paul Yi shows us what's brought on the surge. The southern province of Jeju celebrated
breaking its monthly tourism record with more than one million visitors in April.
Of that total number, approximately 800-thousand were domestic travelers and 200-thousand were
from overseas. It's quite an accomplishment for the tourism-focused
economy, as it boasted a dramatic 40 percent increase in international tourists compared
to last year.
"We enacted an emergency management program due to a decline of tourists at the beginning
of the year. The number of domestic tourists has increased and since expanding air travel
accessibility for overseas travelers, we've surpassed one million monthly visitors.
Local officials attribute the increase in tourism to broader marketing to raise awareness
of its UNESCO World Heritage sites and breath-taking scenic views.
Domestic air travel to the popular tourism spot has also picked up 13 percent, and 15
more international routes were added. The rapid growth in the cruise ship industry
has contributed a major role in attracting tourists with over 5 million disembarking
in 2012, representing nearly a 450 percent jump on-year.
The peak tourism season will continue for the next two months, with this year's goal
of surpassing 12.5 million tourists by the end of this year.
Paul Yi, Arirang News