The first of many South Korean tourists arrived in Hawai'i yesterday under a new program that makes it easier for them to travel to the United States.

These 16 South Koreans are visiting Honolulu under the United States' visa waiver program, which allows people from the Asian nation to use a passport rather than going through the process and costs of acquiring a visa.

"It was very easy and comfortable," said Moon Byung-cheal, one of the passengers on the eight-hour Korean Air flight who plans to see Waikiki Beach, 'Iolani Palace and take a sunset cruise during his four-day visit. "A lot of people are going to be able to come because of this simple and easy process."

The U.S. gets about 800,000 Korean visitors per year currently, and that number could double in 2009 because of this program, said Austin Kang, co-chair of the Korean Visa Waiver Committee.

In Hawai'i, tourists from South Korea could double to 80,000 next year and quadruple to 160,000 by 2010, Kang said.

"We have been waiting for this for a long time," he said. "Korea has been one of the strongest allies to the United States in the fight against communism, so Korea deserves this visa waiver."

Hotels and many other tourism-dependent businesses in Hawai'i are hoping Koreans help offset the sharp decline in tourism, especially among American and Japanese visitors.

President Bush decided in October to lift visa requirements for South Korean tourists.

Citizens from other countries, including Britain and Japan, are already eligible to enter the country without visas.

The program requires visitors to obtain a new passport with a smart chip embedded inside, which U.S. security officials use to track foreigners whenever they use their passport during their stay. Anyone who gets this kind of passport is eligible to visit for up to 90 days.

An increase in tourism is welcome news while the rest of the economy falters, said Koen Witteveen, general manager of the Waikiki Resort Hotel, where the Korean tour group is staying.

"We're going to make sure everyone in Korea knows about this," he said. "The whole country will benefit. Previously, they had to go through a lot of hoops to get here."

There were a total of 272 Korean visitors on the flight, but only 16 of them had the new passport that qualified them for the visa waiver program. Eventually, tourism officials expect almost all Korean travelers to use a passport instead of a visa.

"The benefits go beyond economic. The people of Hawai'i and South Korea have a long history and share deep cultural ties. Koreans and Korean-Americans make significant contributions to Hawai'i's rich multicultural fabric," said Gov. Linda Lingle in a proclamation declaring yesterday "Visa Waiver Program Day."

Americans traveling to South Korea didn't need a visa to fly there previously, and now South Koreans will have the same benefit.

Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also are being added to the U.S. visa waiver program.

Some lawmakers in Congress have opposed extending the visa-waiver program because it could make the United States more vulnerable to terrorists and illegal immigrants

But the Bush administration wanted to reward allies to the United States such as South Korea during his final months in office, Kang said.