Chinese travel companies are resuming group tours to South Korea that were halted last year during a spat between Beijing and Seoul over the latter’s decision to install a US ballistic missile shield.
The move is the latest sign of a thaw in relations between Seoul and Beijing, which has boosted South Korean exports and automobile sales in China.
Beijing ordered travel companies to stop selling popular group trips to South Korea in protest against Seoul’s decision to install the US-made anti-missile system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad). The ban saw Chinese visits to South Korea drop 48 per cent last year to 4.2m, a major blow to the country’s tourism industry.