As the summer holidays approach across South Korea, authorities in the port city of Busan, home to popular beaches, are working to prevent overcharging tourists during the peak season.
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| Beaches in South Korea often attract large crowds of tourists. (Source: Yonhap) |
On June 18, Busan authorities announced that seven public beaches in the city, including Haeundae, Songjeong, Gwangalli, Songdo, Dadaepo, Imrang and Ilgwang, will officially open on July 1.
However, since June 1, the city government has opened part of Haeundae and Songjeong beaches to welcome tourists.
Local officials are concerned that distrust and negative perceptions of price gouging during the holiday will lead to a drop in tourist numbers, negatively affecting the image of the city and region.
The Haeundae District, which manages the popular Haeundae and Songjeong beaches, has established a price management inspection team from June 1 to August 31 to ensure stable prices during the summer on the beaches.
The district government focuses on managing and checking price fluctuations for accommodation, restaurants, parking lots and other related services. The price management team also receives, guides and resolves on-site the above-mentioned related issues.
To ensure food safety, Haeundae district has set up a clean food area around the beach and encouraged visitors to limit buying street food.
Through the smart beach system implemented since 2011, Haeundae District also manages the selling prices of items such as sun umbrellas and beach equipment to ensure that there is no price increase above regulations.
The Smart Beach System is a “one-stop” payment system for all services instead of visitors having to rent each place separately. This system encourages the use of cards for all services such as renting summer items such as sun umbrellas, beach beds and changing rooms, showers at the beach.
A Haeundae official said that starting June 19, the district will operate a reporting center for unfair beach fees. Tourists can immediately report unfair commercial practices, such as overcharging and seat tax collection, here.
Local authorities also confirmed that they will actively crack down on illegal accommodation activities and will strictly inspect restaurants that violate price posting regulations. Inspections of parking fees at private parking lots, hotels, and small motels will also be strengthened.
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