Some tourists who join tour package groups in Seoul have to spend more than what they had paid for or intended to buy – they are ushered to shops and forced to buy overpriced products, including duty-free items, nutritional supplements and cosmetics.

This illegal practice is known as “dumping tours”, reported The Korea Times on Monday.

Earlier in October, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced it would take stern measures on “low-priced dumping tours”, which taint the city’s reputation as well as cast a shadow on the tourism sector’s post-pandemic recovery.

City officials conducted crackdowns across major tourist sites in Jung District on Oct 12 and in Jongno District on Oct 26.

Besides being forced to buy items, tourists on dumping tours have to pay extra if they want to participate in “optional tour activities” when they visit tourist spots, which are mostly free to enter, even though the all-inclusive package tours guarantee visits to the city’s major tourist sites.

The Korea Times news report did not elaborate on what “optional tour activities” are.

These illegal and unfair practices usually involved unlicensed tourism interpreter guides who are known “tour conductors”.

They are foreign nationals hired by domestic tour agencies, said the report, adding that these guides’ main revenue sources are commissions from the shops.

In recent months, “dumping tours” appear to be on the rise as South Korean tourist agencies aim to capitalise on Chinese tourists, said the report without providing further details.

In August, the Chinese government lifted its ban on group travel to South Korea. The move was estimated to lead to 800,000 more travellers and raise South Korea’s gross domestic product by 0.06 per cent in 2023, said the Bank of Korea (BOK) in a report by The Korea Herald in August.

According to an economic outlook report released by BOK then, about 40 per cent of all Chinese tourists were group tourists.

During the authorities’ crackdowns, the officials found one unlicensed “tour conductor” and three “sitting guides” on the spot. Sitting guides mean licensed guides who are hired to sit on the tour bus, instead of guiding the tourists.

The Korea Times did not state what the penalties are or what action was taken against dumping tour organisers.

In the coming days, the city officials will conduct another on-site inspection of tourist spots in Mapo District. There will also be further inspections across shopping malls and duty-free shops that will take place without any advance notice from November.

In a statement, head of Seoul City’s tour and sports bureau Kim Young-hwan, said that the number of tourists visiting the city 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,” he said.