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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 2:41 p.m., Friday, October 17, 2008

New South Korea visa rules could boost Hawaii tourism

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stands in front of the South Korean flag today as President Bush, not pictured, speaks about the the Visa Waiver Program in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Bush announced that visa requirements to visit the U.S. have been removed for citizens of Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and South Korea.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

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President Bush is rescinding visa requirements for South Korean citizens, giving Hawai'i's tourism industry a likely boost.

State tourism officials have long hoped the U.S. would lift the visa requirements in the expectation an increase in visitors from South Korea would help offset a drop in Japanese tourists.

Officials have said they believe the number of South Korean tourists visiting Hawai'i could quadruple over the next few years if the U.S. lifted the restrictions.

Currently, about 35,000 South Korean tourists come to Hawai'i each year.

Bush also lifted visa requirements for citizens of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.