Seoul flashes yellow alert as MERS severely hits South Korea’s tourism — over 2,000 tour groups canceled

▲ The MERS outbreak in South Korea is escalating, with the travel advisory for Seoul raised from Gray to Yellow. (Photo / Taiwan News Photo / AP)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

South Korea's outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continues to spread. Today (June 3), in consideration of public travel safety, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upgraded the travel advisory level for the Seoul area (including Gyeonggi Province) to “Yellow (exercise special caution regarding travel safety and consider whether to travel),” while other areas remain at “Gray (remain alert).”

According to statistics from the Travel Quality Assurance Association, the number of travelers canceling their trips has exceeded 2,000 as of noon today and is still rising, causing serious impacts on both the travel industry and travelers’ itinerary planning. The association will also hold a meeting today with the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Centers for Disease Control to formulate the latest contingency policies regarding travel to South Korea.

The Travel Quality Assurance Association provides the following explanations on refunds and ticket cancellations for different types of travelers:

Group travelers
Refunds for canceled group tours must be processed according to the standardized foreign travel contract, with a fee ranging from 10% to 100% being charged proportionally.
Air tickets
For passengers who have purchased air tickets, both EVA Airways and Thai Airways have stated that ticket refunds will be handled according to general ticketing regulations.
Flight + hotel package tours
For travelers who purchased “flight + hotel” packages, as the arrangements are entrusted to travel agencies, refund procedures including handling fees and accommodation penalties will be carried out according to each agency’s rules. The Travel Quality Assurance Association also noted that since flexible travel options generally offer more room for adjustments, most travelers are currently opting to change their travel dates instead of canceling. However, group travel has seen a noticeably higher rate of cancellations.

As June marks the beginning of the peak season for travel to South Korea, the MERS outbreak is undoubtedly a major blow to travel agencies. Industry insiders revealed that this year’s stable demand for summer family and corporate group tours to South Korea has been hampered. Since yesterday, they have continued to receive calls about tour cancellations, and the office has been filled with sighs of disappointment. It is estimated that the impact will extend to the second half of the year as well.

In South Korea, 214 schools have been closed, and active measures have been taken in the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province areas to prevent the further spread of the outbreak. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges travelers planning to visit MERS-CoV affected regions to remain vigilant about personal hygiene, respiratory protection, and handwashing. They should avoid visiting medical facilities unless medically necessary to reduce the risk of infection. The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications also stated that in addition to reinforcing calls for epidemic prevention measures, it will coordinate with travel associations and the Travel Quality Assurance Association to assist travelers wishing to cancel their plans, processing refunds in accordance with the standardized foreign travel contract.

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