OREANDA-NEWS. Doosan Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 26 major tour agencies in Beijing and Shanghai to attract more Chinese tourists to Korea. The agreement is in line with the company’s bid to win a license to operate duty-free stores at Doosan Tower, Dongdaemun.

On Nov. 2 (local time), Doosan Tower Executive Vice President & CEO Yongman Cho, and representatives and officials of 14 Chinese tour companies, including CTRIP, the largest online travel agency in China, as well as China Comfort Travel, CWTS and Youxian Travel, attended the signing ceremony held in Beijing. On the following day, the CEO traveled to Shanghai to strike deals with representatives from nine more tour companies, including CYTS and Jinjang Travel.

The 26 companies are among the largest tour agencies in China that bring in a large number of Chinese tourists to Korea. Under the deal, Doosan Corporation and the tour agencies will work together to attract more Chinese tourists to Korea. If Doosan wins the license to operate duty-free stores at Doosan Tower, they will closely cooperate to develop tourism products and marketing programs.

“For Chinese tourists, Dongdaemun and Doosan are must-visit places,” said Youxian CEO Xi Zhao. “If the duty-free store opens at Doota, I believe we will be able to attract more tourists to the Dongdaemun area.” “I hope that Doosan could provide more tourism products and services not only for Chinese tourists visiting Korea but also Chinese travel agencies,” he added.

“Dongdaemun has grown to be a major Korean tourism attraction, visited by 7.1 million foreigners every year,” said Doosan Tower CEO Yongman Cho. “Doosan Corporation is making an all-out effort to win the license to open duty-free stores in Dongdaemun, and we will try our best to make Dongdaemun a more attractive place to visit among foreign tourists by developing more tourism content and programs such as K-Style Town and night market programs in affiliation with other businesses in the district.”

Doosan Corporation strives to enter the duty-free business with a goal of promoting synergistic growth and invigorating businesses in the Dongdaemun district. If duty-free stores open in Dongdaemun, about 13 million additional tourists are expected to visit Dongdaemun in the next five years.