Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) is considering adding around 4,500 flights between China and Korean provincial airports by the end of the year, in response to China’s decision to lift a ban on group tours to Korea. The move comes as the number of Chinese travelers entering Korea via local airports has been slow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first half of 2023, only 125,000 Chinese travelers entered the country, an increase of just 18.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. With the lifting of the travel ban, demand for travel to Korea is expected to surge, especially around China’s National Day on September 29. KAC plans to develop new flight routes, offer duty-free merchandise discounts, establish an exclusive pick-up zone for Chinese group travelers, and develop low-cost tour packages to attract an estimated 720,000 Chinese travelers. The company also plans to cooperate with local governments to operate tourism charter flights and develop corporate incentive travel and medical tourism packages.