South Korean visitors are taking advantage of China's visa exemptions by making a beeline for Shanghai, seeking out culinary specialties and snacks that have gone viral on social media.
The number of South Korean tourists traveling to Shanghai in the first quarter of this year exceeded 200,000, accounting for nearly half of the total number of South Korean tourists who visited the city throughout the previous year.
Many of these visitors have been attracted to an RT-Mart in the city, eager to experience one of China's leading hypermarket brands -- particularly the wide variety of Chinese snacks offered at affordable prices.
"I chose this place to visit, because I just want to experience how local Chinese people live, how they shop. So, I was really interested in this place. Especially, this place is really famous in (South) Korea. Many people recommend it. This place is really cheap and the prices are reasonable," said a South Korean visitor.
This supermarket currently receives 200 to 300 South Korean tourists on a daily basis, and its sales of snack foods have risen to the top in Shanghai. To better serve these visitors, the supermarket has added bilingual labels in Chinese and Korean on shelves, entrances, and exits.
"The sales growth in the snack food categories has reached between 50 percent and 80 percent. Additionally, we have established dedicated checkout lanes for South Korean tourists. All store staff and sales assistants have downloaded Chinese-Korean translation software to ensure smooth and timely communication," said Pan Chengxin, the store manager.
Restaurants in the city, serving local Shanghai cuisine, street snacks, and barbecue, have also attracted a large number of South Korean tourists.
Outside a barbecue restaurant that gained popularity on South Korean social media platforms, long queues form even before meal time, with South Koreans making up over 60 percent of the customers.
The restaurant now offers a Korean version of its ordering and queuing systems and has even hired translators.
"The spices are not that strong. To ensure everyone can enjoy the dishes, they have adjusted the taste, making the dishes palatable for Koreans. Individuals can enjoy them to their heart's content. It's really delicious and lives up to expectations," said a South Korean tourist.
Data shows that after the implementation of the visa-free policy, orders from South Korean tourists to Shanghai increased by more than 180 percent year on year, of which tourists aged 20 to 39 accounted for 40 percent.
South Korean travelers embrace Shanghai shopping craze amid visa-free policy
