Autumn spreads its colors through Huangshizhai in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
An increasing number of tourists from South Korea are visiting Zhangjiajie, Hunan province since China allowed visa-free travel for those from the neighboring country since last month, according to local authorities.
据当地政府透露，自上月中国对韩国试行入境免签政策以来，越来越多的韩国游客选择前往湖南张家界旅游。
The natural beauty, mountainous scenery and yearslong efforts to offer targeted travel services to South Korean visitors in Zhangjiajie have made it a perfect travel destination for people in the country, tourism insiders said.
有关业内人士表示，张家界的自然风光、山峦景色以及多年来针对韩国游客提供的定向旅游服务，使其成为该国游客的理想旅游目的地。
Since Nov 8, China has allowed 15-day visa-free travel for tourists from South Korea and on Nov 30 extended the number of days they could stay to 30.
11月8日，中国对韩国游客试行15天入境免签政策，并在11月30日优化延长可停留天数至30日。
According to the Zhangjiajie bureau of culture, tourism, radio, television and sports, the number of South Korean visitors to the city from Nov 9 to Dec 4 has increased by 108 percent year-on-year to reach almost 27,000.
据张家界市文旅广体局统计，自11月9日至12月4日，张家界市接待的韩国游客人数同比增长108%，达到近2.7万人。
Zhangjiajie immigration authorities said the number of South Korean travelers arriving via international flights to the city from Nov 8 to Dec 4 reached 19,700, with 73 percent of them pursuing visa-free entry.
张家界出入境边防检查站表示，自11月8日至12月4日，通过国际航班抵达张家界的韩国游客数量达到19700人，其中73%的游客享受了入境免签政策。
Data from the online travel agent Ctrip show that from Nov 8 to Dec 2, the number of bookings made by visitors from South Korea to China increased by 15 percent month-on-month and more than 150 percent year-on-year during the same period.
据携程数据显示，11月8日至12月2日期间，韩国游客赴华游订单预订量较上月增长了15%，较去年同期增长了150%以上。
Among the bookings, almost 40 percent chose to arrive in China on Friday or Saturday for weekend travel, the platform said.
该平台表示，在订单量中，近40%的旅客选择在周五或周六抵达中国，来一场周末旅行。
South Korean TV station SBS reported that many young people in the country travel to China after work on Friday and spend the weekend there.
据韩国SBS电视台报道，许多韩国年轻人选择周五下班后，去中国旅游享受周末休息时间。
Ding Shibiao, deputy general manager of Hunan Star Tours International Travel Service Co, a travel agency in Zhangjiajie, said the visa-free travel policy is expected to increase the number of South Korean visitors to Zhangjiajie by up to 50 percent next year.
张家界的湖南星之旅国际旅行社副总经理丁石彪表示，受惠于免签政策，预计明年来张家界的韩国游客人数将增加50%以上。
Previously, many of the South Korean visitors to the city were elderly people who wanted to appreciate the mountains in the city, he said. Ding expects that there will be more young people from South Korea to the city next year as they become fans of visa-free travel.
丁石彪表示，以前来这座城市的韩国游客大多是老年人，他们想欣赏这座城市的山景。他预计，随着免签政策的普及，明年会有更多韩国年轻人来张家界。
Cai Long, a tour guide in Zhangjiajie, said since the visa-free travel policy was issued, the number of travel groups from South Korea has increased greatly.
一位名叫蔡龙的张家界导游表示，自免签政策实施以来，韩国旅游团数量大幅增加。
Winter is not a peak season for traveling in Zhangjiajie, but this year the number of travelers from the country has increased a lot, he said.
蔡龙表示，张家界冬季不是旅游旺季，但今年来自韩国的游客人数却大幅增加。
South Korean travelers like to go mountain hiking in Zhangjiajie and there are Korean travel signs as well as authentic Korean food in the city, which caters to their needs, he said.
他介绍，韩国游客通常喜欢去张家界爬山，而且当地还配备有为他们提供服务的韩语旅游标志和正宗的韩国美食。