Oct 31, 9:35 PM EDT


SOUTH KOREAN TOURISTS CAN ENTER HAWAII SANS VISAS NOV. 17



HONOLULU (AP) -- South Korean tourists can enter Hawaii without visas beginning Nov. 17.

Hawaii tourism liaison Marsha Wienert (WHY-nert) says Friday that she expects the 40,000 tourists that came from South Korea in the past year to double in the first year of the program and double again in 2010.

All a South Korean traveler will have to do is carry a new electronic passport and then register for travel authorization online.

Many Koreans have relatives in Hawaii and deep cultural ties to the state's large Korean-American communities.

President Bush decided two weeks ago to lift visa requirements for South Korean tourists. Citizens from other countries, including Great Britain and Japan, are already eligible to enter the country without visas.

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