(1) Reasons for Proposal

This Partial Amendment aims to modify unreasonable systems and regulations regarding tourism business operation (hotel business and amusement facility business) to address difficulties that have surfaced so far, by newly inserting provisions on consolidated business closure reports to reduce inconvenience for business operators, expanding the criteria for qualification as a hotel class evaluator to diversity its make-up, providing hotels evaluated on a single index with an opportunity to apply for class re-evaluation, etc.

Also, in light of continued safety accidents in amusement facility businesses, this Amendment aims to enable the public to feel safe in using such businesses by creating a safe business environment through tighter safety education and water quality management, while also improving the system for efficient management of regional tourism development projects implemented autonomously by local governments, in accordance with the fact that budget for ‘tourism resource development’ (autonomous regional account in special account for balanced development) will be transferred to local governments starting from 2020.

(2) Major Provisions

A. Newly insert a provision concerning a system that enables a person reporting closure of a tourism business to file a consolidated report to a single agency, which will transfer the closure documents to other agencies to enable collective processing, in contrast with the current system where separate reports have to be filed for each head of the registration agency and the relevant tax office (Article 17 (3), (4), Form 24)

B. Provide an opportunity for a hotel evaluated on a single index (traditional Korean hotel business, family hotel business, small-sized hotel business and 1~2-star tourism hotel business) to apply for class re-evaluation (Article 25-2 (1))

C. Stipulate a provision where an arrangement where hotel general manager tests are held biannually (Article 49 (1))

D. Expand the criteria for qualification as a hotel class evaluator (Article 72)

E. Add IELTS to the type of foreign language tests recognized for certification as a tourism business personnel (attached Table 15)

F. Relax the limit to the number of passengers allowed on an amusement ride not subject to safety inspection, a sightseeing amusement ride among subject amusement rides or an amusement ride (no more than five persons no more than six persons) (Article 40 (1) attached Table 11)

G. Make placement of new safety managers in places of business after completion of safety education (Article 41 (3))

H. Newly insert obligation to notify relevant local government of aquatic amusement facility water quality test results (Article 39-2, attached Table 10-2)

I. Newly insert a provision concerning safety control education for operators of comprehensive or general amusement facility businesses (four hours every two years) (Article 42, attached Table 13)

J. Newly insert a provision concerning installation of videos including permission of movies in amusement rides for virtual reality (VR) experience (Article 42, attached Table 13)

K. Newly insert a provision concerning reporting to local government on status of tourism resource development projects included in area planning (Article 67 (1), (2))