A passenger tags his card for a subway ride in Seoul, April 7. Yonhap
The Seoul city government said Thursday it will introduce a daily transit pass for tourists in July, offering unlimited access to the city’s subways and buses for a temporary period in the latest move to enhance the city’s competitiveness as a global tourist spot.
The Seoul metropolitan government said it will newly introduce a special Climate Card designed for tourists visiting the capital city, available for use for one, two, three or five days. The price ranges from 5,000 won ($3.70) for the one-day pass to 15,000 won for the five-day pass.
The plan comes after the city successfully launched a monthly transit pass for locals earlier this year as part of a pilot program to promote the use of public transportation.
Under the new plan, foreign tourists can purchase the rechargeable transit pass for 3,000 won at the Seoul Tourism Plaza in Jongno Ward, the tourist information center in Myeongdong, customer safety centers on subway lines 1-8 or convenience stores near subway stations.
The tourist transit pass is activated immediately on the day it is charged, unlike the monthly pass, which allows users to decide which day it is activated.
Travelers will be offered the same benefits as the monthly pass, including 50 percent off admissions to the Seoul Grand Park and the Seoul Science Center.
City officials said they designed the temporary transit pass to increase the city’s competitiveness as a global tourist spot, pointing to London and Paris as examples of cities with similar transit pass services. (Yonhap)
