Korea’s Inbound Tourism Boom: Recovery Driven by More Than Just China, Market Dynamics Are Shifting

Korea Tourism Organization Releases May Tourism Statistics

1.94 Million Inbound Visitors in May, Up 31% from 2019; Outbound Korean Travelers at 97.5% of Pre-Pandemic Levels

Strong Growth from Taiwan, the United States, and Other Asian and Long-Haul Markets

The direction of Korea’s tourism recovery is changing. While outbound travel by Korean citizens, which had surged after COVID-19, fell below 2019 levels in May, inbound foreign tourism to Korea grew by more than 30% compared to the pre-pandemic period. The current trend can no longer be explained solely by the recovery of the “Youke” (Chinese tourists). Demand from non-Chinese markets such as Taiwan and the United States, as well as long-haul markets, is growing simultaneously, fundamentally altering the composition of inbound tourism to Korea.

Foreign tourists are enjoying Korean food at a restaurant. The number of inbound foreign tourists in May increased to 131.0% compared to the same month in 2019, with a remarkable recovery in non-China markets such as Taiwan and the United States. Gettyimage

According to the Korea Tourism Organization’s Korea Tourism Statistics for May 2026, published on the 25th, the number of inbound foreign tourists to Korea last month reached 1,945,809, an increase of 19.4% compared to the same month last year. Compared to May 2019, this figure represents 131.0% of pre-pandemic levels.

Conversely, the number of Korean citizens traveling abroad was 2,340,345, a decrease of 2.1% compared to the same month last year, and only 97.5% of the figure from May 2019. In May 2019, the number of Koreans who traveled abroad exceeded inbound foreign tourists by 915,520, but in May of this year, the gap narrowed to 394,536.

China was not the only driver of the monthly recovery in Korea’s inbound tourism market. The countries with the highest number of visitors to Korea last month were: China with 563,600, Japan with 357,530, Taiwan with 191,795, the United States with 151,605, and the Philippines with 69,914.

Although China remains the largest market, the recovery rates compared to May 2019 were 112.6% for China and 124.9% for Japan, while Taiwan recorded 188.4%, the United States 158.2%, and the Philippines 138.3%. By region, Asia and the Middle East posted a recovery rate of 135.4%, while the Americas and Europe posted 151.5%.

This trend continued in the cumulative totals from January to May. During the first five months of this year, inbound foreign tourists totaled 8,716,791, a 21.0% increase over the same period last year and 125.2% compared to the same period in 2019. Over the same period, Korean citizens traveling abroad totaled 12,957,187, or 103.6% of the 2019 figure. On a monthly basis, outbound travel by Koreans fell below 2019 levels, and even on a cumulative basis, the rate of increase in inbound foreign tourists outpaced that of outbound tourists.

In May, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea increased by 31.0% compared to the same month in 2019 before COVID-19, but the number of Korean outbound tourists remained at 97.5% of that level. The recovery rate for arrivals from Taiwan and the United States was higher than that of China, highlighting a trend towards diversification in the inbound tourism market. Data provided by Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Tourism Statistics May 2026.

The change in market composition is even clearer in the cumulative figures. From January to May, inbound tourists by country were: China 2,562,209, Japan 1,601,558, Taiwan 927,319, the United States 634,230, and the Philippines 300,270. China accounted for 29.4% of the total inbound market, making it the largest single source. However, when compared to the same period in 2019, the growth rates were only 10.1% for China and 16.8% for Japan, while Taiwan saw 87.0% growth and the United States 57.3%. This is why the current boom in inbound tourism cannot be explained solely by “recovery from China.”

Based on a reanalysis by The Asia Business Daily of detailed country-by-country data from the Korea Tourism Organization for the first five months of this year, the presence of long-haul markets has also grown. The number of inbound tourists from the Americas was 857,339, up 63.4% compared to the same period in 2019. Europe saw 619,498 visitors, a 44.2% increase, and Oceania saw 143,766 visitors, a 69.2% increase. The share of inbound tourists from Asia in the total fell from 83.5% in 2019 to 81.0% this year, while the Americas rose from 7.5% to 9.8%, and Europe from 6.2% to 7.1%.

The pace of recovery varied by market. From January to May, Thailand sent 166,645 visitors to Korea, reaching only 65.1% of the 2019 level. Russia sent 99,047 visitors, or 70.6%, and Malaysia sent 153,179, or 92.7%. The six GCC countries saw their single-month total in May jump to 335.2% compared to 2019, but the cumulative figure for January to May was 9,009, or just 86.0% of the 2019 total. Now that the number of inbound tourists has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, competition in the tourism market is shifting from “how many visitors came” to “which markets are sending visitors who stay longer, spend more evenly, and contribute more over time.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.