Invest KOREA

Foreign Investment Ombudsman held a Roundtable to listen to challenges facing the global hotel industry

Foreign Investment Ombudsman held a roundtable to listen to difficulties of the global hotel industry, jointly with the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), at the meeting room in Seoul City Hall on June 2.

The roundtable was organized for Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and SMG to listen to difficulties facing the global hotel industry, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was participated by △SMG’s quarantine management team, tourism service improvement team, and investment attraction team △the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Korea △and representatives of six hotel businesses operating in Seoul.

Representatives of the hotel industry expressed their appreciation for effective quarantine measures taken by the Korean Government and SMG. They also stressed their continued efforts to comply with quarantine guidelines.

They shared their challenges brought by the prolonged pandemic and suggestions on social-distancing with Foreign Investment Ombudsman and SMG. Especially, they asked for greater consistency of quarantine measures at the Seoul City level to prevent confusion stemming from different interpretation of quarantine guidelines by gu (district), and preparation of window of communication.

Seoul Metropolitan Government said that it will thoroughly review suggestions and keep making efforts to improve foreign investment environment through close cooperation, so that it can communicate consistent quarantine measures with global hotels standing at the forefront of public health and safety. Foreign Investment Ombudsman Kim Sung Jin said “Korea’s competent quarantine system helped global hotel chains build consensus for compliance with quarantine guidelines,” adding that “We will keep trying to facilitate communication between government authorities and foreign invested companies.”

Source: Invest KOREA (2021.06.02)