A Study on the Improvement Plan of Korean Travel Balance against China
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kwon Oh-Sung , Kim Tae-Myung 
Published: June 2018

The number of chinese tourist visiting Korea has been increased continuously since the diplomatic relationship was established between Korea and China on August in 1992. On the strength in this increase, China has held the second rank to leapfrog America at inbound market of Korea after 2001. However, China is regarded as country providing the cause for the deficit of Korean Travel Balance, because the deficit magnitude of Korean travel balance against China take a share in the second place following America and is maintained high travel balance deficit every year.
Even though China is the very important country in relation to the deficit of Korean travel balance, there do not exist academic researches in regard to the improvement of Korean travel balance is aimed at China. Up to now researches in regard to the balance of tourism in Korea mostly have been focused factors that influence the Korean travel balance, the subject of study, for example, were things like the determinants of international tourism demand, the determinants factors of the balance of tourism, the determinants factors of the tourism receipts and the determinants factors that influence the fluctuation of the tourism expenditures. These studies have great significance to recognize the importance of factors that influence the balance of tourism, however, those are insubstantial researches to suggest to detailed ways of improving the balance of tourism through the data was analyzed on the characteristics of tourist and tourism consumption. Therefore, this study aims at suggesting the marketing strategies to promote inducement of chinese tourist in order to improve the Korean travel balance on the basis of data was analyzed on the characteristics of chinese tourist and consuming behavior through the marketing approach. This study focus on three main chapters. One is analysis on the present conditions of tourism in Korea and China, another is analysis on the characteristics of tourism consumption to chinese tourist visiting Korea, the other is analysis on SWOT of the chinese inbound market in Korea.
An analysis on the present conditions of tourism in Korea and China is compose of the two parts. One part is the tourism competitiveness and the balance of tourism in Korea and China respectively, the other part is the Korean tourism balance against China and tourist numbers(Chinese arrivals and Korean departures). We also have done a comparative analysis Chinese's preference for the overseas travel country as to an analysis on the characteristics of tourism consumption to chinese tourist visiting Korea, and analyzed Chinese's purposes for Korea tour, trends of Chinese arrivals' weight, Chinese's tour types for Korea and satisfaction by Chinese's appraisal for Korea tour (departure & entry formalities, public transportation, lodging, food, shopping, attractiveness degree, easiness of obtaining tour information). As the results of these analyses mentioned above, problems and improvement plans of the Korea travel balance are drew. Meanwhile, four factors are identified as the results of SWOT analysis are as follows;Firstly, strength factors are geographically adjoining country, low priced travel expense, image as developed country, close culture, convenience of shopping and positive image due to Korea wave. Secondly, weakness factors are dissatisfaction on Korean foods, tour guaranty money system for visiting Korea, non-attractiveness of Korea as the destination country, high prices of Korean commodities and discriminative sight of the Koreans on chinese. Thirdly, opportunity factors are increase of overseas travel opportunity according to China economy growth, continuous increase of the company incentive travel, increase of the overseas travel desire after Beijing Olympics Game and increase of air line between Korea and China.