Rich Chinese travel to Korea for luxury anti-aging tour package

Rich Chinese travel to Korea for luxury anti-aging tour package. April. 11, 2012 08:01. dawn@donga.com.

Some 180 high-income Chinese will visit Korea on a charter flight for a luxury tour costing up to 100 million won (87,680 U.S. dollars).

Possom Prestige, an anti-aging clinic at Ritz-Carlton Korea, is preparing for VIP tourists from China. After a major Chinese media outlet introduced “meditel (a combination of medical service and a hotel offering treatment, accommodation and rest),” wealthy Chinese rushed to make reservations.

With growing interest in the tour package of sightseeing, shopping and plastic surgery from rich Chinese, the Chinese travel agency offering the anti-aging program chartered a 180-seat private plane at the end of this month.

The program, which targets customers who wish to travel abroad for a week that includes the May Day holiday, is almost sold out and the first charter flight package for Chinese who want a “meditel” tour.

Possom offers anti-aging programs priced from five million (438.40 dollars) to 100 million won (87,680 dollars). Thirty clients selected a program covering a physical check-up, skin care, plastic surgery and hair transplantation costing more than 50 million won (43,800 dollars).

Three Chinese nationals who visited Korea this month booked a “full-package program” of eight nights at a Ritz-Carlton suite, stem cell treatment ranging from 10 million (8,768 dollars) to 50 million (43,840 dollars), and provision of nutritional supplements for six months.

More than a few Chinese tourists paid more than 100 million won in adding items after consultation with doctors, Possom said.

The Ritz-Carlton is also happy with the success of the anti-aging clinic. A hotel source said, “Sales at our restaurants and bars have increased markedly as many tourists take a rest after undergoing plastic surgery.”