S. Korea should offer more to lure foreign tourists: minister

South Korea needs to offer foreign visitors more than a world-class shopping experience and its pop culture to attract more tourists from abroad over the long haul, the nation's economic czar said Friday.

In a meeting with people in the tourism industry on the southernmost resort island of Jeju, Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan said that foreigners, especially Chinese tourists, are currently coming to South Korea for shopping and to see firsthand Korean pop culture, or "hallyu," that has made a considerable impact worldwide in recent years.

"While shopping and hallyu have been effective in attracting a record number of tourists, there is a need to diversify to meet changing demands," Choi said. "Besides shopping, the country must offer more things to see, a wider variety of recreational activities and different kinds of food."

In 2014, 14.2 million foreigners visited South Korea, up from just under 12.2 million the year before.

Choi, who doubles as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said Jeju also needs to offer more content.

Last year, Jeju attracted more than 10 million visitors, exceeding numbers for Hawaii and Bali. Of the total, the number of Chinese tourists hit 2.86 million, up sharply from 1.81 million in 2013.

Choi pointed out that the influx of tourists has benefited the Jeju economy that reported a 3.9 percent increase in jobs last year, compared with the 2.1 percent increase for the rest of the country.

Sales of products by large retail outlets on the resort island surged 10.2 percent last year, while retailers on the mainland posted negative growth, he said.

The minister said that while Seoul and Jeju are the main destinations of most tourists at present, the government's goal is to create more attractions across the country that can take advantage of scenic mountain vistas, rivers and historic heritage sites.

"Efforts will be made to greatly expand the country's tourism infrastructure, including those coming from China," he said, pointing out that such an investment is justified because tourism is at present a "hot" industry in South Korea.

The minister said that the 1.9 trillion won ($1.76 billion) Myths and History Theme Park under construction in southern Jeju with foreign investment is the kind of infrastructure than can help tourism. He added that the government plans to expand the airport on Jeju so it can handle more flights and build a top-class duty-free shop in Seoul.

The policymaker said the government plans to announce a package of measures to promote tourism within the first half of this year. (Yonhap)