The Justice Ministry plans to ease visa regulations for Chinese tourists to Korea, whose numbers have been soaring in recent years.
The ministry’s Immigration Office unveiled Thursday a set of measures to allow double visas and alleviate the prerequisites of multiple-entry visas for Chinese nationals. The new visa system is to take effect as early as mid-July after undergoing a two-day opinion survey conducted on visa officials and travel experts.
Elementary, middle and high school teachers, retired pensioners and graduates of prestigious universities will then be granted a multiple entry visa, with …

The Japanese government on Thursday relaxed visa rules applicable to Chinese nationals to encourage more tourists to visit and help boost the nation’s flagging retail sector.
In July 2009, Japan began granting individual tourist visas to Chinese nationals who earn 250,000 yuan (36,000 U.S. dollars) a year or more, but the conditions have been eased to encourage more Chinese people to choose Japan as their vacation destination spot. “Chinese middle-class families with certain income level and employment status can also make individual trips to Japan, without joining group tours,” Takahisa Kashiwagi, …

Canada is rolling out the welcome mat for Chinese visitors now that it has secured its long awaited Approved Destination Status (ADS), but bargain-price trips won’t be among the offerings according to officials in the country’s tourism sector.
With Canada receiving the designation on Thursday during President Hu Jintao’s state visit to Canada ahead of the G20 summit in Ontario this weekend, Chinese tourists can now visit the country in organized, pre-sold tourist groups.
Canada joins a list of 130-plus nations and regions designated to receive Chinese travelers. However, unlike some earlier …

According to research compiled by L2, China’s luxury market is about to explode.

Interesting to note is the age groups of luxury buyers. China’s unique historical circumstances come into play, with 80% of luxury buyers under the age of 45. This makes luxury branding in China require a distinctly “young/modern” feel vs. the US and Japan.
With such large potential looming in the near future, luxury brands are beginning to enter the market in force. Whether they will succeed will be a careful balance between their brand values, Chinese taste, and their …

The Internet has transformed the lives of millions while disrupting and displacing the business models of traditional media channels around the globe. But what impact does the Internet have on how people live? How important a role does it play in their decisions? Does that role vary from country to country, or are users’ experiences universal? Will concerns about such issues as privacy and security dampen consumers’ digital enthusiasm, or will new media continue to play an expanding role in their lives?
These are critical questions. The Digital Influence Index has …