▲ They won’t stop arriving. The recent growth has been fueled by an increase in cruise tourists which is set to continue as facilities improve across the island. Photo courtesy Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

“This is part of a long process that goes back to 2002,” said Oh Jeung-hun, Executive Director of the Jeju government’s Tourism Policy Division. Oh was reflecting on success as 2013 saw foreign tourists break the 2-million mark for the first time, the fruits of years of planning.

Oh outlined the credentials, recalling an honors list to make other destinations as green as Jeju’s oreum: “2002 Biosphere Reserve, 2007 UNESCO status, 2010 Geoparks, 2011 New7Wonders ... then in 2012 was the World Conservation Congress.”

The process is ongoing. A brief hiatus will be followed by World Environment Hub status in 2020. “Ultimately we will become a treasure island for all of the world’s people,” said Oh, paraphrasing the province’s latest marketing slogan.

Not just relying on these awards, Jeju has also been actively attracting punters across the region. It has five PR offices set up in China, four in Japan and one in Taipei. The diversity reflects the reflexive approach being taken in local tourism policy which has resulted in such rapid recent growth, up from just 280 thousand foreign tourists in 2008.

“At first we tried to emulate Hong Kong or Singapore, but we should go our own way; Jeju is a unique destination in Northeast Asia,” he said. “People in China are escaping rapid development while the Japanese are concerned about Fukushima; Jeju can offer them a place of rest.”

Foreign tourists demand different services from domestic tourists, which still dominate the local market. 70 percent of international tourists come with group tours, with just 30 percent FIT - Free Independent Travelers. This compares to 82 percent of Koreans being FIT and just 18 percent coming with group tours.

The gap is closing all the time, however, and while FIT increase, so too does their need for services and support. The lone traveler is cut loose of the tour guide’s apron strings and Oh says his division’s policies will ensure the convenience of their stay is maximized.

“Japanese and English languages services are already at a good level and Chinese is improving. We are also about to introduce a translation app for tourists,” he said.

Glancing backwards, Oh beckoned over a colleague to introduce said app. It was asked for directions to Mt. Halla, to which the automated response was: “How do I get to the mountains of hell.” It was still in the development stages, said Oh.

Despite this glitch, Oh’s confidence in his division’s policy was unwavering. With his eye on 2020 and the World Environment Hub, he sees little conflict between continued tourist development and the island’s green credentials. Could the island accommodate another 2 million?

“The impact is not a problem. All of the important land is protected by UNESCO and compared to other provinces Jeju is far less developed,” he said. Would a new airport be built? “That all depends on the results of the feasibility study. If we can’t build it on land the only choice is the sea,” he joked.

The only blot on the horizon for tourism chiefs is the recent Chinese law change, targeting unscrupulous tour providers through much tighter regulation. Such operators are now legally restricted, leading to a fall in group Chinese tours to Jeju and elsewhere.

“In the short term there has been an impact. We were seeing 70 percent growth on the previous year before the law [on Oct. 1] but this fell to 12 percent immediately following it. It is a transient period, but it will affect Seoul more than Jeju,” he said.

Oh expects an increase in Chinese FIT, already a trend across the region, as they forgo group tours. This will dovetail with current tourism policy in attracting independent travelers from Southeast Asia and rekindling the Japanese market. He cites the work ongoing, such as the overseas marketing seen on buses, subways and taxis across the region.

Clearly times are looking lucrative for the tour industry, but that means little if the benefits are not shared. Large hotels and resorts are being built and provide jobs, but small businesses struggle with such competition in an unfair market, don’t they?

Oh believes such concern is misplaced, as everyone has the opportunity to benefit from Jeju’s growth. Travelers, especially of the independent variety, will use small businesses, transport and guesthouses to benefit not only the large corporations that dominate the market.

In finishing, The Jeju Weekly asked for Oh’s proudest moment in his division’s recent success.

“Well, I’m not sure it is pride, but maybe Jeju becoming known around the world. We are such a small island, but people in Europe, South America. North America, all know about us now.” he gleamed.

In his words, there was more than a hint of that other provincial slogan: “The World comes to Jeju, Jeju goes to the World.”