Boosted by visa waivers, China and South Korea are strengthening their ties by building a bridge of friendship through tourism.

From Oct 14 to 16, the 66th Tourism Working Group Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was held in Qingdao, Shandong province. As one of APEC's key specialized mechanisms under the Senior Officials' Meeting framework, the Tourism Working Group convenes twice a year, hosted alternately by the rotating economy and other APEC members on a voluntary basis.

Qingdao, across the sea from South Korea, greatly contributes to the close ties between the two countries and serves as one of the gateways for South Korean travelers entering China. According to the latest data, approximately 270,000 South Korean travelers entered through Qingdao's airport from January to September this year, accounting for over 70 percent of all foreign arrivals.

Meanwhile, there are 38 flights per day between Qingdao and South Korea, operating from 7 am to 10 pm, ensuring smooth and frequent connectivity.

Following South Korea as the previous host, Qingdao's hosting of the APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting reflects the active role both countries play as key Asia-Pacific economies in promoting regional tourism cooperation. The event also injected fresh confidence and momentum into the region's tourism recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, travel between China and South Korea has been heating up, supported by reciprocal visa facilitation measures. In November last year, China unilaterally introduced a visa-free trial policy for ordinary South Korean passport holders, extending a warm welcome to the country's tourists. This September, South Korea responded by allowing visa-free entry for Chinese group travelers.

"China first showed its goodwill, and South Korea felt that goodwill and responded," says Harry Ha Hongkook, secretary-general of the South Korea MICE Association. Ha believes the friendly atmosphere created by these policy changes is highly beneficial for the tourism industries of both countries.

Having visited several Chinese destinations, including Sanya in Hainan province and Xiamen in Fujian province, over the past few years, Ha was impressed by China's advanced infrastructure, enthusiastic service, and diverse cuisine — all highly appealing to South Korean travelers. "It's a pity that in the past, most of our people didn't realize how developed China had become," he says.

According to Qin Jing, vice-president of Trip.com Group, the increase in bilateral tourism has been driven by both new visa policies and closer market cooperation. "As of September, inbound travel orders from South Korea to China surged 131 percent year-on-year on Trip.com, while Chinese bookings to South Korea rose 31 percent," Qin says. "Although travel volumes haven't yet reached pre-pandemic levels, the momentum is strong: improved flight capacity and simplified visa procedures are fueling recovery."

Following South Korea's announcement of its new visa-free policy for Chinese tour groups, searches for "South Korea" on Trip.com spiked, with group tour bookings up 357 percent. "These measures have unlocked pent-up demand, especially among families and travelers from smaller cities," Qin notes.

A key driver of this trend is the younger generations. Ha observes that, in many major Chinese cities, South Koreans now make up the largest share of foreign tourists, a phenomenon closely linked to young travelers. "When young South Koreans visit China, they develop a more positive view and begin to pay more attention to it," he says. Likewise, Trip.com data shows that young Chinese tourists dominate travel to South Korea, with 33 percent born in the 1990s and 27 percent born in the 1980s.

"Young people represent the future," Ha adds. "The mutual visa-free policies will strengthen youth exchanges and foster long-term friendship. I firmly believe that."

Looking ahead, Ha hopes both sides can establish a regular exchange platform to help Chinese and South Korean tourists better understand each other. Beyond major cities, "there are many more destinations in both countries waiting to be explored," he adds.

Bai Shuhao, Yang Feiyue and Xu Lin contributed to this story.