The local tourism industry had been in a slump for the better part of a year after China banned the sale of group tours to South Korea.<br />But with that ban now partially lifted in the past few months, data show signs of hope, at least for the nation's duty free shops.<br /> The Korea Duty Free Shops Association says they posted their third-best total sales -- of 1-point-4-9 billion U.S. dollars last month.<br />It was an improvement of 59 percent over the same month last year, when the tour ban was still in full effect.<br />The best month on record was this January, and second was March.<br />An industry official attributed the jump in part to Chinese travelers who are big duty-free shoppers.<br />Sales to foreign nationals in May were 3-point-6 times higher than to Koreans. <br />
