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Julius

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:31 am Post subject: Korea ranks lowest in tourism friendliness |
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Korea Targets 10 Mil. Inbound Tourists by 2012
To upgrade tourism competency, the administration plans to embark on aggressive overseas campaigns to promote the ``Visit Korea Year'' from 2010 to 2012.
Improving the competitiveness of the local tourism industry is crucial to enhancing the country's global image, Euh said.
The chairman also stressed the need to improve the public's attitude toward foreigners so that they make them feel welcomed.
``Korea is evaluated as the lowest in tourism friendliness,'' Euh said. ``A welcoming attitude and awareness are directly connected to the country's brand.''
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/06/116_46302.html |
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asams

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:10 am Post subject: |
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Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year? |
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polonius

Joined: 05 Jun 2004
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:13 am Post subject: |
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asams wrote: |
Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year? |
I think it has something to do with the fact that when you are born, you are already 1 year old. |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:23 am Post subject: Re: Korea ranks lowest in tourism friendliness |
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Julius wrote: |
``Korea is evaluated as the lowest in tourism friendliness,'' Euh said. |
His name should be "Duh" |
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GoldMember
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:28 am Post subject: |
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Koreans actually believe that they are kind to foreigners. Apparently this brilliant hypothesis comes from school textbooks.
Well they do like Gus Hiddink, and they also like, uh... let me get back to you on that one. |
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halfmanhalfbiscuit
Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:29 am Post subject: |
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Um, yeah. Good luck on that one. |
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T-J

Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:51 am Post subject: |
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To upgrade tourism competency, the administration plans to embark on aggressive overseas campaigns to promote the ``Visit Korea Year'' from 2010 to 2012.
asams wrote: |
Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year? |
To upgrade tourism competency, the administration plans to embark on aggressive overseas promotion campaigns in the years 2010-2012 leading up to the "Visit Korea Year"
Poorly written sentence, but I think this is what they meant. |
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DJ Clae
Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:55 am Post subject: |
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The subways in Seoul are all in English. That's pretty friendly. I can see how the directions to and awareness of some of the local attractions are not well publicized though.
I've lived in Korea for just over a month, and nearly all the Koreans I've met have been surprisingly friendly and helpful to me. Everytime I visit a place where foreigners are getting drunk, I am ashamed and wonder why Koreans are friendly to foreigners at all. |
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Papa Smurf
Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:58 am Post subject: |
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DJ Clae wrote: |
The subways in Seoul are all in English. That's pretty friendly. I can see how the directions to and awareness of some of the local attractions are not well publicized though.
I've lived in Korea for just over a month, and nearly all the Koreans I've met have been surprisingly friendly and helpful to me. Everytime I visit a place where foreigners are getting drunk, I am ashamed and wonder why Koreans are friendly to foreigners at all. |
in what way? you never seen Koreans getting hammered???? |
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kimuchiii
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:00 am Post subject: |
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asams wrote: |
Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year? |
Maybe they just need a little more time in that "year" to reach that goal?  |
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kabrams

Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Location: your Dad's house
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:00 am Post subject: |
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polonius wrote: |
asams wrote: |
Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year? |
I think it has something to do with the fact that when you are born, you are already 1 year old. |
Hahahaha. |
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asams

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:03 am Post subject: |
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kimuchiii wrote:
Quote: |
asams wrote:
Since when was 2010-2012 considered 1 year?
Maybe they just need a little more time in that "year" to reach that goal? |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:05 am Post subject: |
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Papa Smurf wrote: |
in what way? you never seen Koreans getting hammered???? |
Of course not! And I'm insulted that you would imply such a thing! |
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wylies99

Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:33 am Post subject: |
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DJ Clae wrote: |
The subways in Seoul are all in English. That's pretty friendly. I can see how the directions to and awareness of some of the local attractions are not well publicized though.
I've lived in Korea for just over a month, and nearly all the Koreans I've met have been surprisingly friendly and helpful to me. Everytime I visit a place where foreigners are getting drunk, I am ashamed and wonder why Koreans are friendly to foreigners at all. |
Congratulations. Your 30 minutes, I mean 30 days in Korea give you the credibility to slam all waygookin.
Stop hanging out in bars. Most of us don't hang out in bars 24/7, Mr Hypocrite. |
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crossmr

Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:35 am Post subject: |
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DJ Clae wrote: |
The subways in Seoul are all in English. That's pretty friendly. I can see how the directions to and awareness of some of the local attractions are not well publicized though.
I've lived in Korea for just over a month, and nearly all the Koreans I've met have been surprisingly friendly and helpful to me. Everytime I visit a place where foreigners are getting drunk, I am ashamed and wonder why Koreans are friendly to foreigners at all. |
This is a big plus. I went to japan about a month ago for the first time. Now I wasn't in Tokyo, but I was in Fukuoka and from what I've been told a lot of foreigners go there. There is a navy base or something near there as well.
I was surprised at the lack of English everywhere. The airport was great. I got a nice little welcome card book that had some tourist hot spots, and a discount coupon I could use in many places. However once I left the airport it was pretty hit and miss, mostly miss.
The subway was in English. Which was good, but what wasn't good was the fact that there were multiple lines going through one station and it wasn't advertised well. Got lost there once. I didn't feel bad though, several japanese people also ended up lost and took the train back with me to get back going in the right direction.
Outside of that, I'm glad there were pictures. I found there to be significantly more english in restaurants in korea than in Japan. I think in 5 days I saw 1 restaurant with english on the menu.
Very few young people seemed to have any english skill at all. So restaurants were exclusively pointing. I can't count the times I've said to myself "I'm really going to practice Korean today" and every restaurant I've gone to the manager or another staff member has rushed up and served me in acceptable english.
Now everyone in Japan was very friendly, polite, etc. So don't get me wrong on that, it just would be nice for the tourism association to encourage more english on restaurant signage. Especially around hot spots.
Another nice thing about Korea is that temples, palaces, etc all include English translations (sometimes bad ones) of everything.
In japan the only thing they had in English was the names of plants. All the big walls of text you see around various places was 100% japanese without so much as a title in English.
So was Japan more friendly that Korea? I was only there 5 days, but I have no complaints about the people at all. They were ridiculously polite, but from a tourist stand-point I found all the various spots I went to be rather "unfriendly" even though they were talked up in the tourist guide book.
I've had the odd bit of bad service in Korea, but that'll happen anywhere if you stay somewhere long enough. But I find the tourist spots to be more friendly in terms of being able to know what I'm looking at, and the restaurants to be a little better at having any idea of what I'm ordering. Oh, and there are no benches in Fukuoka, so if you plan to be walking about quite a bit, strap a folding chair to your back... |
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