Jeju is a very small island in Korea as a whole, but it is a popular place where tourists continue to visit because of the beautiful ocean and nature. Therefore, the island has a large number of hotels and tourist attractions, and even more Koreans cannot go abroad after Coronavirus started as they can’t travel to other countries. However, when unexpected changes come, such well-organized systems will be newly built or already made changes. 

Thus, how are travel agencies and hotels coping during Covid-19 pandemic?

To better understand this topic, Sungho Choi was invited for an interview. Sungho Choi is an employee of the Jeju Shinhwa World marketing department who has been living in Jeju for the past ten years. He said, “I am in charge of overseas promotions such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan promotion, and currently learning tasks that I have never experienced before by promoting domestic companies due to Covid-19.”

According to Sungho Choi, he was originally working at a casino affiliated with the company. However, he was assigned to a new department and was ordered to cooperate with the Shinhwa world. He currently works in the department of offline travel agency, travel management, and MICE(Meeting Incentive Tour, Convention, Exhibition) events. Sungho Choi is satisfied with his current job, saying that he can meet various clients, build a wide range of connections while doing promotions and events, etc.

The tourism industry is often suffering from infectious diseases such as the current epidemic of Covid-19, which is currently in vogue. Sungho Choi said that Shinhwa World is suffering from a decrease in the number of employees and a deficit like other companies. He wants to make good results as many Korean workers and the government try to support it actively. “Everyone is having a hard time with Covid-19, but especially Jeju Island is a highly dependent tourist industry. Therefore everyone in Jeju is having a lot of difficulties, but I hope tourism workers won’t lose their smile until the day Corona stabilizes again,” he stressed.

Next, Heeyoung Lim is a deputy manager of the management support team working at Jeju You us Hotel. According to her, she is in charge of accounting, general affairs, personnel, and purchasing the management support team. Heeyoung’s actual major was design and taking a break from work while getting married, giving birth and raising children. However, when her parents started the hotel business, she entered the management support team as her parents wanted their family member to work there. She said, “I was very unfamiliar with this work at first in this industry, but now I’m working happily”.

Heeyoung said her work is still the same. However profit has decreased significantly since last year due to Covid-19, and hotels are unlikely crowded. If it ends as soon as possible, she hopes she can upgrade the atmosphere of the rooms and lobby of You us Hotel to make hotel more beautiful and attract customers.Not a few people have jobs related to overseas, tourism, travel, and marketing, and everyone enjoys and works hard in their respective fields. However, most companies experience a drop in sales and suffer damage these days. Sungho Choi and Heeyoung Lim are trying their best doing many types of works together. However, even if people who are faithful to their work as these people constantly try, there is no way to change problems like ‘people not coming’. It would be better for all companies and agencies to think about how to respond to minimize the damages.

Hayeon Shin
Middle School (8th Grade)
Saint Johnsbury Academy Jeju