Following the government’s de facto declaration that the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is over, the local tourism industry has begun beefing up efforts to attract foreign visitors.
 
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Wednesday that, together with local tourism service providers, it has invited around 150 journalists from major media outlets in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong for a four-day trip.
 
The KTO hopes the journalists can convey to the Chinese public that the situation in South Korea has returned to normal.
 
The organization also plans to invite around 150 journalists from nine other countries, including Japan and Southeast Asian countries, to introduce them to the appeal of South Korea.
 
The KTO is also working with local airliners, including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, to hold promotional events in which winners will receive a free roundtrip ticket to the country. The organization also plans to hold three K-Pop festivals.
 
Seven countries lifted their travel advisories for South Korea on Tuesday after Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said that the MERS outbreak has effectively come to an end.