Taking care of backpackers in Seoul, Korea

Travel and tourism in Korea’s capital, Seoul, became easier for backpackers. As more backpackers from other countries are traveling to Seoul on their own without tour groups, the city government is working towards building a one-stop tourist center. Fashioned around the idea of creating a travel hub like Thailand’s Khao San Road, the center will provide a place for travelers to make reservations, store their luggage, and use the Internet.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to build a one-stop tourist center for individual travelers from overseas as more of them are visiting the capital city independently rather than in tour groups.

The Seoul government said Monday that about 66 percent of overseas travelers who visited South Korea last year came on their own, while just under 28 percent were part of arranged group tour programs. The rest were so called ‘air-tel’ travelers with prearranged flight and accommodation packages.

The city government said it will build a one stop tourist center where visitors can make travel reservations, keep their luggage and use the Internet.

The city said it plans to eventually expand the center into a travel hub like Thailand’s Khao San Road, which sits on a 400-meter two-lane street in Bangkok and is a starting point for backpackers in Southeast Asia. It is concentrated with around one-hundred accommodations, restaurants, travel agencies, currency exchange stores, tourist information centers and souvenir shops.

With such a blueprint in mind, the Seoul city plans to build the tourist center near City Hall or Hongik University after reviewing the number of tourists and lodging facilities as well as convenience of transportation in the areas.

The facility will be about 36 square meters in size and will be able to serve ten people at the same time. It will provide services in English, Japanese and Chinese and will have automated teller machines and provide currency exchange services.