If you want to check how things are going in the Asian tourism market, Peter Tangl is surely the person to ask.

The general manager of Fraser Place Central Seoul and the newly opened Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul said he has witnessed a turbulent change in the nation’s tourism industry over the past year.

The Namdaemun branch opened Monday.

“There were not that many options. You have top class (five-star hotels) and you have nothing. That is changing now since I arrived in Seoul last year,” said Tangl, who has worked in the hospitality field for the past three decades.

Before he came to Seoul he worked in China for more than 18 years and spent two years in Japan.

“Market dynamics [in Korea] have changed a lot within a year. Japanese tourists are declining but the Chinese market is growing; in May or June over 60 percent [compared to the same period last year.] It’s amazing.”

	Peter Tangl said he has witnessed a turbulent change in Korea’s tourism industry over the past year. Provided by Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul

With travelers pouring in, especially from China and Southeast Asia, Korea faces a severe shortage of rooms, as Tangl noticed.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, an estimated 36,000 rooms were needed in 2011 but only 28,000 were available that year.

Fraser Place is trying to fill that need. First, it opened Fraser Suites in Insa-dong, central Seoul, in 2002. In 2006, it opened its second branch, Fraser Place Central Seoul, which is a serviced residence in Seosomun-dong, in 2006.

And the latest addition is the Namdaemun branch in the heart of Seoul, which overlooks the nation’s No.1 national treasure, Sungnyemun, popularly known as Namdaemun.

Namdaemun was one of the four major gateways to the capital during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Namdaemun literally means “great southern gate.”

Fraser Place is best known for managing serviced apartments and serving long-term travelers across the world, but Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul caters to the slightly different group of short-term travelers.

“The opening perfectly fits the trends of Korean tourism,” said Tangl.

“What we consider is the growth of tourism in Korea. You have such tremendous growth and there’s a huge demand for [not just] short-term accommodations, but quality short-term accommodations.”

Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul offers three types of rooms - superior, deluxe and premier.

Only the premier rooms are equipped with kitchens, but all types still have the feeling of home.

“We provide a separate living room, which can be divided by a sliding door. You don’t feel like you’re in a box.”

Premier and deluxe rooms look like cozy living spaces with wooden floors, holding everything you need.

	The interior of a deluxe room at Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul

Although the superior room is the smallest, it has its strong point: an up-close, beautiful view of Namdaemun.

When asked what makes Fraser Place different from other serviced residences, Tangl and his peer, Jastina F. Balen, director of group branding and communications at Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality, said it’s the little things that make their brand different.

“We provide three different types of shuttle buses. You will say, who doesn’t have a shuttle bus? We don’t offer that by open request. It’s given when you enter,” said Tangl.

Fraser Place Central Seoul and Namdaemun Seoul offer three types of shuttle buses: one for business-oriented guests, one for sightseers and another for those who feel like going shopping.

Tangl also mentioned its IT service.

“IT infrastructure is such a basic item but a lot of hotels here don’t provide it. They charge $20 a day for using the wireless Internet.

“Since we live in a technological age, it is a basic expectation now. Otherwise, you’re going to upset him [the customer] and the point is that when he is upset, he is not only upset about Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul but all of Fraser group. We make these our basic standards.”


By SUNG SO-YOUNG [so@joongang.co.kr]