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South Korea revokes licenses of dozens of travel agencies
Saturday, 30 Mar, 2016
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South Korea has cancelled the licenses of dozens of travel agencies that cater to Chinese travelers with low-quality packages or hire unqualified tour guides.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it reviewed 170 tour agencies which target Chinese travellers and about 40% – totalling 68 agencies – failed to meet ministry standards.
Most offered unreasonably cheap tour packages employing illegal tour guides.
The government said it has been cracking down on low-quality tours to help improve the nation’s image, culture minister Kim Jong-deok said.
"We will expand the entry of new competitive tour operators to improve the quality of group tour packages and develop various programs," he said.
So-called ‘zero-fare tours’ have become popular due to stiff competition which force unwitting tourists to shop at designated stores so tour companies can reap big commissions.
South Korea has targeted up to eight million Chinese tourists this year.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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