Chinese tourists to South Korea outnumber Americans ahead of World Cup

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 ◆ Chinese tourists to South Korea outnumber Americans ahead of World Cup

Chinese tourists visiting South Korea outnumbered those from the United States for the first time this year, tourism officials said on Tuesday.

The number of Chinese tourists was expected to rise further during next year's World Cup soccer finals, which South Korea will co-host with Japan. China, which is making its World Cup debut, will play its three first-round matches in South Korea.

Of the 4.75 million foreign tourists to South Korea this year, 2.22 million were Japanese followed by 444,113 Chinese and 395,963 Americans, the government's Korea National Tourism Organization said.

The number of American tourists fell this year following the Sept.11 terror attacks.
Last year, 458,617 American tourists visited South Korea, outnumbering 442,794 Chinese.
The United States will also play its first-round World Cup games in South Korea.

South Korean organizers said Chinese fans will be assured of a generous allocation of tickets for matches involving China.

South Korea has emerged as a major tourist destination for Chinese. The number of Chinese tourists increased from 210,662 in 1998 to 316,639 in 1999.

They expect up to 100,000 Chinese visitors during the tournament from May 31-June 30.
South Korea plans to expand transportation and accommodation facilities for Chinese tourists. It will install more signs in Chinese in major tourist destinations.(xinhua)