The Welcome Center at the main gate has been attracting more and more tourists and its income level is soaring accordingly. Photo by Kim Kyung-min.
Recently, souvenir sales in Ewha Welcome Center have soared by 127 percent. The sales have greatly increased due to Chinese tourists who purchase a large amount of souvenirs including water bottles, mug cups, pens and notebooks at once.
Since the establishment of the Welcome Center, souvenir sales have continuously increased, as numerous Chinese travel websites list Ewha as one of the must-go-to-see attractions in Korea. However, it was from January, 2015, that souvenir sales started to skyrocket. Sales doubled for consecutive months.
According to Ewha COOP, the institution that runs the shops, the reason for the soaring sales is due to the installation of shelves that display the popular souvenirs at the entrance of the Welcome Center. By displaying the products for people to see when they walk pass the main gate, visitors could figure out what the Welcome Center is for, so more people started to visit the store. As the Weclome Center is located underground, the tourists previously did not know the purpose of the place. The sales in the first quarter of 2015 also increased by 125 percent compared to those of the previous year’s first quarter.
With the sales increase of souvenirs in the Welcome Center, a new souvenir shop will open in the Pavilion, which is currently under construction. Along with the souvenir shops that are on campus, the new souvenir shop will also be equipped with the guidance system for tourists.
The profits earned from the souvenir shops will be used for students. Leaving out the minimum expense required to run the Ewha COOP, the rest of the money will be spent on student scholarships.
저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지