South Korean tourists in the Middle East are starting to head back home due to rising tensions in the region, as per travel industry sources. Over 400 tourists from major agencies were in Dubai, with Hana Tour, Mode Tour, and Yellow Balloon Tour customers among them. Hana Tour has already sent 40 customers back to South Korea, while Mode Tour is arranging flights for 39 more.
Around 330 South Korean tourists are expected to remain in Dubai, with those in other Middle Eastern countries also making their way back home smoothly. Hana Tour’s group tourists in Cairo are returning without issues, and Yellow Balloon Tour is organizing alternative flights for customers in Cairo and Amman.
The chief policymaker of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party cautioned about potential negative impacts on the country’s exports to the Middle East due to the US-Israeli actions against Iran. Rep. Han Jeoung-ae highlighted concerns that South Korean exports to the region, valued at about 200 trillion won last year, could suffer. Projects worth around 100 trillion won in the Middle East, including smart cities and nuclear power plants, might face delays or cancellations.
