Tourism in South Korea and its industry caters to both foreign and domestic tourists.[1][2]
In 2023, 11.0 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it the 20th most visited country in the world.[3] Most non-Korean tourists come from East Asia and North America, such as Taiwan and the United States. The popularity of Korean popular culture, often known as the "Korean Wave", in countries around the world has significantly increased tourist arrivals.[4]
The majority of the South Korean tourist industry is supported by domestic tourism. Thanks to the country's extensive network of trains and buses, most of the country lies within a day's round trip of any major city.
International tourists come primarily from nearby countries or regions in Asia. Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan together account for roughly 75% of the total number of international tourists.[7] In addition, the Korean Wave has brought increasing numbers of tourists from Southeast Asia and India. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is targeting 100,000 arrivals from India in 2013.[8]
The number of Korean domestic tourists has increased since 2010. The number of people who participated in domestic travel (which includes one-day trips) was about 238.3 million (in 2015), increased by 4.9% compared to 2014 (227.1 million).[9] In 2014, Korean's domestic tourism expenditure was ₩14.4 trillion.[10]
Also, Korean overseas tourist numbers have been increasing since 2010. From 2012 to 2014, the number of South Koreans travelling overseas has risen by about 8.2% on average. In 2014, number of Korean overseas tourists was about 16.1 million. And Korean overseas tourism expenditure was $19,469.9 million.[11]
Statistics
In 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to the Korean GDP was up 4.2% of the total economy (₩ 81.4 billion). Which accounted for 4.8% of total employment (1.3%). The impact of international visitors accounted for ₩ 26.5 billion (World Travel and Tourism Council).[12]
Spending habits include:
Leisure spending 82% vs. Business spending 18%
Domestic spending 55% vs. International spending 45%[13]
Arrivals
Visitors arriving to South Korea for tourism by nationality:[14]
Number of international visitor arriving in S. Korea
% change from previous year
2003
4,752,762
-11.1
2004
5,818,138
+22.4
2005
6,022,752
+3.5
2006
6,155,046
+2.2
2007
6,448,240
+4.8
2008
6,890,841
+6.9
2009
7,817,533
+13.4
2010
8,797,658
+12.5
2011
9,794,796
+11.3
2012
11,140,028
+13.7
2013
12,175,550
+9.3
2014
14,201,516
+16.6
2015
13,231,651
-6.8
2016
17,241,823
+30.3
2017
13,335,758
-22.7
2018
15,346,879
+15.1
2019
17,502,756
+14.0
China
Chinese tourists to South Korea and year-on-year rate. From March 2017, tourists plummeted in retaliation for the installation of THAAD.
China has been South Korea's largest tourism source for years. In 2016, visitors from China made up 46.8% of tourists in South Korea. However China imposed a group tour ban after the US military deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. From April 2017, Chinese tourists plummeted by more than 60% compared to the previous year.[15][16] In 2020, the South Korean tourism industry made it a long-term goal to reduce its dependency on Chinese tourists.[17]
Japan
Japan–South Korea tourist comparison from 2005
Since Lee Myung-bak's visit to the Liancourt Rocks and his demand for an apology from the Emperor of Japan over Japanese colonialism in Korea in 2012, the Japanese public's image of South Korea deteriorated significantly. Japanese tourists to South Korea halved from 3.5 million in 2012 to 1.8 million in 2015, while South Korean tourists to Japan doubled from 2 million in 2012 to 4 million in 2015.[18][19][20]
Apart from Jeju island, there are many smaller islands. Excursion ferries are quite common along the south and west coasts and also to Ulleung-do Island, off the east coast. Limited tourism mainly by South Koreans to the Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo) has grown in recent years as a result of the political status of the rocks.
Many local districts hold annual festivals, such as the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival.
In addition, people in South Korea come to Seoul to enjoy various cultural activities.[24] Due to the metropolitan area centralization of the cultural infrastructure, there is a cultural gap between Seoul and other regions.[25] According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 36.4 percent of the total cultural infrastructure such as public library, museum, and art galleries are concentrated in Seoul. Therefore, many people in South Korea travel to Seoul.
Busan is the second largest city in South Korea. It is located in the southeastern coast in Korea, so Busan has abundant tourist attractions such as beach and hot spring. People in South Korea visit beaches in Busan in hot summer. Also, there are various festivals in Busan. 11 festivals are held annually, including local festivals and art events. Busan sea festival is held every August and Busan International Film Festival is held every October. Jagalchi Cultural Festival is developed into a representative cultural tourism festival in Korea. Because of these various festivals and places, many people travel to Busan. Also, the influence of Social Network Service made Busan a popular tourist attraction. The official Facebook of the Busan Culture and Tourism Ministry and official blog sites promote the tourist attractions in Busan.
Samcheok — Samcheok Railbike, Hwanseong and Daegeum Caves, Haesindang Park, Samcheok Rose Park, Samcheok, Jeungsan, Yonghwa, Maengbang and Jangho Beaches
Wonju — Gangwon Gamyeong, Guryongsa Temple, Park Kyung-ni Literature Park
^"2015년 12월 외래객입국·국민해외여행객 및 관광수입·지출 동향" [foreign entrance·nation outbound traveler and tourism income·expense trend December 2015]. 한국 관광 통계 (in Korean). 2016.
^Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting. "한국을 대표하는 글로벌 방송! The World On Arirang!". Korea works to diversify its tourists by offering convenient services and special experiences : ARIRANG. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^김(Kim), 동민(Dongmin) (2016-10-13). "이종배 "문화 향유기회 확대 및 문화격차 해소해야"" ["Expand the scope of cultures and eliminate cultural gaps" Lee Jongbae] (in Korean). 충북일보(Chungbugilbo).
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