China partially lifts ban on group tours to S.Korea - Yonhap (updated)

Lotte

28/11/2017 05:02

* China has banned group tours to S.Korea since March 
    * Ban will be lifted in Beijing and Shandong 
 
 (Adds share reaction, details) 
    SEOUL, Nov 28 (Reuters) - China National Tourism 
Administration will allow travel agencies in Beijing and 
Shandong to resume sales of group tours to South Korea, Yonhap 
News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing an industry official.    
    The official said the travel ban would be in place in other 
regions for now and be gradually lifted depending on the 
regions, going forward, Yonhap reported. 
    Shares rose of companies that would benefit from the lifting 
of the ban, with Asiana Airlines  020560.KS  gaining 3.4 percent 
and duty free store operator Hotel Shilla  008770.KS  up 3 
percent. Casino operator Paradise  034230.KQ  rose 4 percent. 
    China had banned all group tours to South Korea since March 
in the wake of Seoul's decision to install a U.S.-backed 
anti-missile system, a move Beijing vehemently opposed. 
    But a late October agreement by Seoul and Beijing to move 
past the dispute had boosted hopes group tours may be allowed in 
the near future. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1N643M L3N1NE1MN  
    The tour agencies in Beijing and Shandong have, however, 
been told they should not include Lotte Group's hotel unit and 
duty free as part of their travel packages to South Korea, 
according to the report.  
    Lotte, South Korea's No.5 conglomerate, has faced a major 
setback in China after the group provided the land for the U.S. 
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Most of Lotte's 
hypermarkets in China were shut down after fire inspections.    
    Officials at Korea Tourism Organization and Korea's tourism 
ministry said they are checking the Yonhap report. 
 
 (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Haejin Kim and Joyce Lee; Editing by 
Himani Sarkar) 
 ((hyunjoo.jin@thomsonreuters.com; 82-2-3704-5685; Reuters 
Messaging: hyunjoo.jin.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: SOURTHKOREA CHINA/TOUR