S. Korea's tourism industry enjoys revival

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's tourism industry is enjoying a
renaissance after a torrid year as the number of outbound travelers rises on
signs of economic recovery, industry sources said Wednesday.

Hana Tour Service Inc., the country's largest travel agency, said the number of
customers who booked overseas travel programs in December topped 84,000, up 81
percent from a year earlier when the economic crisis brought the industry close
to standstill.
The number of local outbound tourists who made reservations for overseas travel
programs slated for January shot up 90 percent on-year to about 50,000, the top
travel agency said.
About 6,000 travelers per day booked the overseas travel programs this month,
similar to 2007 levels, when the number of outbound travelers hit a peak, Hana
Tour Service said.
"An increase in the outbound travel reservations was the first time in one and
a-half year since June 2008," an official at Hana Tour Service said.
Other major tour companies including Mode Tour Network Inc. also reported a sharp
increase in the number of reservations for overseas trip programs ahead of the
upcoming holidays, Christmas and New Year's Day, compared with a year earlier.
jia@yna.co.kr
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