The first of many South Korean tourists taking advantage of a new program that makes it easier for them to travel to the United States arrived yesterday in Honolulu. Sixteen South Koreans are visiting Honolulu under the United States’ visa
The first of many South Korean tourists taking advantage of a new program that makes it easier for them to travel to the United States arrived yesterday in Honolulu.
Sixteen South Koreans are visiting Honolulu under the United States’ visa waiver program, which allows people from the Asian nation to use a passport rather than go through the process and costs of acquiring a visa.
“It was very easy and comfortable,” said Moon Byung-cheal, one of the passengers on the eight-hour Korean Air flight who plans to see Waikiki Beach, Iolani Palace and take a sunset cruise during his four-day visit. “A lot of people are going to be able to come because of this simple and easy process.”
The U.S. attracts about 800,000 Korean visitors per year currently, and that number could double in 2009 because of this program, said Austin Kang, co-chair of the Korean Visa Waiver Committee.
In Hawai‘i, tourists from South Korea could double to 80,000 next year and quadruple to 160,000 by 2010, Kang said.
“We have been waiting for this for a long time,” he said. “Korea has been one of the strongest allies to the United States in the fight against communism, so Korea deserves this visa waiver.”
Hotels and many other tourism-dependent businesses in Hawai‘i are hoping Koreans help offset the sharp decline in tourism, especially among American and Japanese visitors.
Governor Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James R. “Duke” Aiona Jr. have been traveling separately throughout Asia over the past week, collectively making stops in Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea with the goal of increasing Asian visitors to Hawai‘i.
“The benefits go beyond economic. The people of Hawai‘i and South Korea have a long history and share deep cultural ties. Koreans and Korean-Americans make significant contributions to Hawai‘i’s rich multicultural fabric,” Lingle said in a proclamation declaring Monday “Visa Waiver Program Day.”
Aiona met Thursday with Korean Air executives to discuss increased seat capacity to the islands.
“Starting early next year, we plan to replace the Incheon-Honolulu aircraft from the current B777 to the B747, increasing 100 seats daily,” said Seung-Bum Lee, managing vice president of the regional passenger sales office of Korean Air.
Aiona also met with Asiana Airlines to pursue the potential of resuming air service to Hawai‘i after a 10-year gap without direct flights.
“A new round-trip flight between Korea and Hawai‘i is positively considered for the near future,” said Joo-An Kang, president of Asiana Airlines, following the meeting.
Aiona returns to Hawai‘i today, while Lingle will head to China to participate in the China National Tourism Administration’s China International Travel Mart, Asia’s largest international tourism fair.
An increase in tourism is welcome news while the rest of the economy falters, said Koen Witteveen, general manager of the Waikiki Resort Hotel, where the Korean tour group is staying.
“We’re going to make sure everyone in Korea knows about this,” he said. “The whole country will benefit. Previously, they had to go through a lot of hoops to get here.”
There were a total of 272 Korean visitors on the flight, but only 16 of them had the new passport that qualified them for the visa waiver program. Eventually, tourism officials expect almost all Korean travelers to use a passport instead of a visa.
Americans traveling to South Korea didn’t need a visa to fly there previously, and now South Koreans will have the same benefit.
President George W. Bush decided in October to lift visa requirements for South Korean tourists, and Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are also being added to the U.S. visa waiver program.
The program requires visitors to obtain a new passport with a smart chip embedded inside, which U.S. security officials use to track foreigners whenever they use their passport during their stay. Anyone who gets this kind of passport is eligible to visit for up to 90 days.
Some lawmakers in Congress have opposed extending the visa-waiver program because it could make the United States more vulnerable to terrorists and illegal immigrants.
But the Bush administration wanted to reward allies to the United States like South Korea during his final months in office, Kang said.
Citizens from other countries, including Britain and Japan, are already eligible to enter the country without visas.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.
