Good news for Jeju’s tourism industry…International flights to the island that had been suspended due to the MERS outbreak have restarted. And overseas budget carriers have added new flights to the island as well. Todd Thacker reports.
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International arrivals (as of Aug. 17): 1.5m
23% less than 2014

So far this year… one-point-five million international tourists have visited Jeju.
That’s a 23 percent drop from the same period last year...

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International flights to Jeju resume

… mostly due to a large number of suspended flights to Jeju after the MERS outbreak in June.

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China adding 8 new flights to Jeju this month

But recently, there has been a noticeable increase in international tourists coming to the island. China Eastern Airlines and Tianjin Airlines resumed flights to Jeju on August 17th and 18th, respectively.

Air China is also planning to resume flights from the 23rd.
Altogether eight flights to Jeju will be newly added by the end of August.
And in September, the low cost carrier Hong Kong Express will begin operating flights to Jeju for the first time.

Hong Kong Express recently celebrated the launching of its new Jeju route.

[INTERVIEW]
Luke Lovegrove / Hong Kong Express Airways
(English)
<인터뷰:루크 러브그로브 홍콩익스프레스 영업총괄 부사장>
"고객을 대상으로 조사한 결과 제주가 1년내내 가장 인기있는 관광 목적지로 결정돼 제주 취항을 결정하게 됐습니다."

As Hong Kong Express is a budget carrier with many connected flights in Southeast Asia, industry insiders expect the launch to boost tourism in Jeju even further.

[INTERVIEW]
Ko Seung-ik / Marketing director, Jeju Tourism Association
Although we already have direct flights between Jeju and Hong Kong, the new flight by Hong Kong’s only budget airline is expected to greatly contribute to Jeju’s tourism industry.
<인터뷰:고승익 제주도관광협회 마케팅국장>
"홍콩에 1개 항공사가 취항했습니다만 이번에 홍콩 유일의 저비용 항공사가 취항함으로써 제주관광 다변화에 상당히 큰 기여를 할 것으로 생각하고 있습니다."

[Camera]
Park Byeong-joon

The increase in flights to Jeju is being seen as a reflection of recovering demand for travel to the island.

[Reporter]
Todd Thacker

With more international tourists set to visit Jeju, the slump in tourism due to MERS is expected to end sooner than initially forecast.

Todd Thacker KCTV