The government plans to attract 20 million foreign tourists and reap 24-and-a-half billion dollars in tourism revenue next year. 

The government unveiled the goal during a meeting on tourism strategies chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Gwangju on Friday.  

The government’s target tops the previous high posted in 2019 when South Korea drew 17-point-five foreign tourists and acquired 20-point-seven billion dollars in tourism revenue.  

To meet the goal, the government first plans to sharply enhance convenience for tourists in terms of immigration, shopping and transportation. 

As part of such efforts, the government will exempt Vietnamese, Filipino and Indonesian tourists from e-group visa application fees through next year. 

Currently, such exemption only applies to Chinese tourists.