AsianFin -- South Korea’s new visa-free entry policy for Chinese tour groups is driving a rebound in travel demand ahead of China’s National Day holiday, according to industry executives.

Hwang Seong-won, head of the passenger network at Korean Air, told Yicai that the airline’s load factor on China–Korea routes has risen by about 10 percentage points from a year earlier since the policy was unveiled. He expects the impact on passenger growth to strengthen further in 2026.

Korean Air’s flight capacity on China routes has recovered to about 86 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while routes to other regions have largely returned to normal, Hwang noted.

The South Korean government said it will trial the visa-free policy starting Sept. 29, allowing Chinese group tourists to stay for up to 15 days.