Substandard tours and a dearth of activities are the top reasons why foreign visitors do not want to return to Korea, according to a survey released Thursday.

The online survey of 206 local opinion leaders and 203 foreigners who have been to Korea was conducted by the cultural and tourism promotion body 5.4 Club.

The organization was founded by Corea Image Communication Institute President Choi Jung-wha and Didier Beltoise, president of Cs, a hospitality consulting firm.

The survey asked which cultural contents best represent the country, how to boost foreign visitor satisfaction, the reasons for low rate of return visits and what should be done to improve the low rate of return visits.

Both foreign and local respondents cited problems with tour programs and a lack of things to do as the main reasons for the low rate of return visits. They felt that tour programs were monotonous and that there was a lack of special experiences.

Developing programs that feature unique experiences was seen as the top priority among Korean respondents. Foreign respondents said that the development and promotion of regional cultural content should be a priority.

Both Koreans and foreigners said that creating attractive and unique experiences is important. Both groups also ranked better customer service as the second most important factor in attracting tourists to make return visits.

On Thursday evening, 5.4 Club celebrated its third anniversary at an event at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Some 20 people attended, including Turkish Ambassador Arslan Hakan Okcal, Kuwait Ambassador Jasem Albudaiwi, Opera Gallery Seoul chairman Kwon Gee-chan, Universal Cultural Foundation director Moon Hoon-sook and photographer Bae Bien-u.

By Jung Eun-jin (jej2403@heraldcorp.com)