Chinese tourists are pouring into the country with the start of the mainland’s National Day Golden Week, raising Korea’s hopes for a chance to bolster its tourism revenues.

With more than 70,000 Chinese visitors expected to visit this week ― a 20-percent increase from last year ― the state-run Korea Tourism Organization is now expecting to raise about $100 million from them.

Major airlines and hotels in the metropolitan areas were booked by Chinese nationals crowding in for their seven-day holiday ending on the 5th.

“Our market analysis shows that reservation rates at major hotels including Lotte and Walker Hill topped 95 percent for this week. Inbound reservation rates for Incheon exceeded 120 percent at local airlines,” the tourism board said.

Hotels near Incheon International Airport and the harbor were also all booked out by inbound tourists staying in the area for a day or two before heading to Seoul.

As a further testimony to the popularity of Korea with Chinese tourists, a total of 130 rooms allotted for Chinese at Best Western Incheon Airport Hotel were weeks in advance. Paradise Hotel Incheon, a five-star destination half an hour away from the airport, is expecting about 800 Chinese visitors this week

“Chinese tourists often come in groups but we’re expecting almost twice as many this year because a lot of them have planned to stay longer to enjoy the break stretched to a nine-day holiday with weekends this year,” a hotel official said.

Shopping districts across Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun Market are seeing an especially big crowd of Chinese, especially at cosmetics, clothes and accessory stores. The KTO said it expects to raise about $16.8 million from Chinese shoppers in Myeong-dong alone this week.

“Seven in 10 are Chinese customers this weekend. A lot of them buy cosmetics with natural ingredients and the ones advertised by Korean celebrities are particularly popular,” a cosmetics store manager in Myeong-dong said.

The KTO said that it will deploy necessary manpower and arrange transport facilities to welcome Chinese tourists. It plans to host welcome events at airports and ports, and offer discounts for Chinese shoppers using BC Card Co. or China Union Pay.

“We launched different marketing strategies for young and old, and coordinate with airlines and retailers to attract more Chinese,” Han Hwa-jun, head of China desk at the KTO said.

A total of 1.4 million Chinese visited Korea between January and August this year, up 14 percent from same time last year.

By Cynthia J. Kim (cynthiak@heraldcorp.com)