Seoul to crack down on ‘dumping tours’ that herd tourists into shops with overpriced goods

These dumping tours refer to package tours where tourists are herded into retail stores and virtually forced to buy overpriced products such as cosmetics, nutritional supplements and duty-free items.

Other than the forced shopping, their itinerary in Seoul consists mostly of tourist spots where entry is free. They have to pay extra to participate in “optional tour activities”, though the all-inclusive package tours guarantee visits to the city’s major tourist sites.

These unfair practices often involve unqualified tourism interpreter guides called “tour conductors” – foreign nationals without a valid guide licence – who are hired by domestic tour agencies. The main revenue sources of these unqualified guides are commissions from the shops.

Victims of dumping tours seem to be on the rise in recent months as local tourist agencies increasingly seek to capitalise on Chinese tourists after the Chinese government lifted its years-long ban on group travel to South Korea in August.

Earlier this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced stern measures on “low-priced dumping tours” that taint the city’s reputation and cast a shadow on the tourism sector’s post-pandemic recovery.

According to Seoul City on Sunday, city officials had conducted crackdowns across major tourist sites in Jung District on October 12 and Jongno District on October 26, during which they found one unqualified “tour conductor” and three “sitting guides” on the spot. Sitting guides refer to licensed guides who are hired to sit on the tour bus, instead of actually guiding the tourists, in case of a crackdown by officials.

The city officials will conduct another on-site inspection of tourist spots in Mapo District in the coming days, and further inspections across shopping malls and duty-free shops will take place without prior notice starting from November.

“The number of tourists visiting Seoul is expected to increase towards the year-end. We will continue making efforts to eradicate illegal practices to make sure that every tourist can enjoy their time here and return with only happy memories of Seoul,” said Kim Young-hwan, head of Seoul City’s tour and sports bureau.