Hohhot tourists to enter S Korea visa-free  

內蒙古獲批開通直飛仁川包機航線 游客可免簽入境韓國

記者5日從內蒙古旅游局獲悉，內蒙古已獲批開通呼和浩特直飛韓國仁川的旅游包機航線，目前，游客已開始報名。本趟航線的開通意味著韓國法務部出臺的《中國游客無需簽證入境韓國》制度正式開始在內蒙古執行。

CNS (Hohhot) — North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region will launch a direct flight route between its capital city Hohhot and the South Korean port city of Incheon, according to the Inner Mongolia Tourism Administration on Tuesday.

The new route marks the start of the No-Visa Entry Program for Chinese Tourists introduced by the South Korea Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in Inner Mongolia, the administration said.

With the program, Chinese tour groups, who transfer at Incheon International Airport or Gimhae International Airport to a domestic flight to Jeju Island, will be permitted to stay in the country without a visa for 72 hours, said Li Jianxu, general manager of the Inner Mongolia Railway International Travel Service.

"The simplified procedures will reduce the journey by more than half an hour. Moreover, tourists can also opt for a tour of Seoul before heading to Jeju Island," said Li.

"As a two-way 'passport' for both tourists from Inner Mongolia and South Korea, it will exert positive influence on mutual exchanges between the two countries," said Sun Jian, deputy director of the Promotion Section of the Hohhot Municipal Tourism Administration.

The program, which began on a trial basis on Oct 29, 2012, was officially implemented on May 1. The first Hohhot-Incheon direct flight will take off on July 10.