South Korea Plans to Add Entry Fees for Jeju Island
The new policy comes amid environmental concerns raised by locals.
(SPOT.ph) Jeju Island has always been one of the special regions in South Korea where Filipinos are allowed to enter visa-free. This makes the island region one of the most sought-after destinations in South Korea outside of Seoul, especially if you're looking to save on pesky visa application fees. But it looks like travelers to this area might be facing a different kind of travel-related expense as the South Korean government mulls imposing entry fees to Jeju Island.
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Here's what we know about the possible new Jeju Island entry fee policy:
Based on reports, the fee system will include 1,500 KRW (around P64) per night for tourists with an additional 5,000 KRW (around P212) per day for those renting a car, 10,000 KRW (around P424) for a minivan, and five percent of the fee for renting a bus. Initial estimates say each visitor will be charged an average of 8,170 KRW per day, or approximately P346 per day.
This new policy comes amid concerns raised by the locals about garbage and sewage increasing beyond what the island can manage. As reported by the Korea Times, this new fee system will bring about 141 billion KRW of revenue to the government, which will be used to support environmental sustainability.
This isn't the first time a tourism fee was planned for Jeju Island. The island's government tried to introduce the same scheme in 2012 but was thwarted by objectors. This time though, the government has sought help from the state-run research company, Korea Environment Institute, to study the feasibility of the entry fee for the island. The research is targeted to be completed by August 2023. After which, it shall be proposed to the National Assembly within the year for finalization.
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