"Let’s Give Korea a Spending Spree": Over 10 Million Foreign Tourists Flock In, Credit Card Spending Exceeds 10 Trillion Won

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Announces June Tourism Results

1.99 Million Foreign Visitors in June, Up 23.1% From Last Year

Regional Airport Arrivals Jump 42.5% and Regional Visit Rate Rises to 34.2%

The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year surpassed 10.71 million, highlighting a clear recovery in the tourism market. For the first time on a half-year basis, foreign tourists' credit card spending on tourism exceeded 10 trillion won, showing that the pace of spending recovery is about three months ahead of last year.

Tourists are taking photos and making memories on Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 28, the number of foreign tourists to Korea in June was 1,993,128, up 23.1% compared to the same month last year. As a result, the total number of foreign visitors from January to June this year reached 10.71 million, a 21.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

In June, China accounted for the largest number of inbound tourists, with 649,582 visitors, marking a 36.2% increase from a year earlier. Japan followed with 348,216 visitors, Taiwan with 223,127, the Americas with 219,948, and Europe with 119,445. The number of tourists from Taiwan grew by 35.3%, and from Japan by 21.3%, maintaining an upward trend in key markets.

On a cumulative basis for the first half of the year, China held the largest share with 3.21 million visitors, followed by Japan with 1.95 million and Taiwan with 1.15 million. The highest growth rate was seen in Taiwan, up 33.4%, followed by China (27.1%), Japan (20.4%), and Europe (20.2%).

The growth in arrivals through regional airports was also significant. In June, 395,246 foreigners entered Korea via airports such as Gimhae, Daegu, Jeju, and Cheongju—an increase of 42.5% year-on-year. In the first half of the year, a cumulative total of 1.96 million people entered through regional airports, up 42.1%, whereas arrivals at metropolitan airports increased by only 17.3% to 7.5 million.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year reached 10.71 million, a 21.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Foreigners' card spending on tourism amounted to 10.0389 trillion won, representing a 50.8% increase, and the growth rate of arrivals through regional airports soared by 42.1%, significantly surpassing that of metropolitan airports.

Tourism spending also expanded rapidly. In June, foreigners’ credit card spending on tourism reached 2.0544 trillion won, up 66.4% from the same month last year. This marked the second consecutive month that spending exceeded 2 trillion won after May.

The cumulative credit card spending on tourism for the first half totaled 10.0389 trillion won, a 50.8% increase from last year’s 6.6559 trillion won over the same period. While last year it took until September for cumulative spending to surpass 10 trillion won, this milestone was reached within the first half of this year—about three months earlier. These figures also include foreigners' online domestic purchases.

The satisfaction level of foreign tourists and regional tourism also improved. According to the provisional results of the '2026 Q2 Foreign Visitor Survey,' the satisfaction score for trips to Korea was 90.5 points, up 0.7 points from the same period last year. The rate of visits to regions outside of Seoul also increased, rising from 31.4% to 34.2%, a 2.8 percentage point jump.

Kang Jeongwon, policy chief at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The increase in arrivals through regional airports and the expansion of tourism spending are significant achievements in terms of revitalizing local tourism," adding, "We will continue to provide policy support so that all regions of Korea can become a stage for 'K-Tourism'."

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