After the passenger ferry accident, a survey on the foreign tourists’ satisfaction on the degree of safety showed that two-thirds of foreign tourists are worried about safety in Korea. (image: Jeju Tourism Organization/flickr)
SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) – Upon reaching the 10 million foreign tourists mark last year, the domestic tour industry is alarmed with a “red alert” after the tragic accident of the capsized ferry Sewol.
Following the announcement of the Korea Tourism Association that a total of 3,187 foreign tourists cancelled their reservations to visit Korea after the passenger ferry accident, a survey on the foreign tourists’ satisfaction on the degree of safety similarly showed that two-thirds of foreign tourists are worried about safety in Korea.
According to a study by Cosmojin R&D Center surveying 232 foreign tourists by face-to-face interviews recently, 67 percent of them answered that they felt uneasiness while visiting Korea.
Also, 64 percent of them picked “poor” for the safety measure in Korea. The institute said that after the Sewol accident and the ensuing subway crash accident, the image of Korea on safety was degraded significantly.
Meanwhile, the factors that make foreign tourists feel uneasy differed before and after they traveled to Korea. Before coming to Korea, almost a half of them (114 respondents, 49%) picked the “possibility of war” caused by occasional attacks by North Korea as the most serious risk factor. After that, safety accident (25% with 58 respondents) and theft (14% with 32 answers) followed. However, once after their trips to Korea, safety accident topped with 57 percent (127 respondents and the possibility of war dropped much behind).
On the safety measure, 44 percent (102 foreign tourists) picked lack of signs in case for emergencies and lack of professional personnel in tourist areas (28%) and aged safety facilities (18%) followed. They suggested expanding signboards and information in case for urgent situations for foreigners for the safety-related improvement measures in Korea.
An official at the center said, “As the number of foreign tourists coming to Korea keeps increasing, we need practical measures for them not to feel the anxiety over their safety while in Korea.”
Written by John Choi (johnchoi@koreabizwire.com)
Lifestyle (Follow us @Lifestylenews_Korea)
