One in Five Foreign Tourists Now Enter Korea via Regional Airports... Cheongju Airport Arrivals Surge by 109%

Korea Tourism Organization's 'Nowadays, Korea Tourism Data Seminar' Analyzes Regional Tourism Trends
Impact of Taiwanese Tourists and LCC Expansion
Number of Taiwanese Visitors Entering via Gimhae Airport Up 157% in Two Years

On August 27, more than 500 representatives from local governments, the tourism industry, and academia gathered at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The event was the Korea Tourism Organization's 2nd “These Days, Korea Tourism Data Seminar,” which focused on “regional tourism.” Registration fully booked early on, prompting the organizers to secure a larger venue than the inaugural event in May. The most notable change revealed by the data released at the seminar was the "gateway of entry" for foreign tourists. One out of every five inbound visitors to Korea was already entering the country through regional airports rather than Incheon or Gimpo International Airport.

Sung-Hyuck Park, President of the Korea Tourism Organization, is explaining the main contents of the 2nd Nowadays, Korea Tourism Data Seminar. Korea Tourism Organization

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, in the first half of this year, 20.7% of foreign tourists visiting Korea used regional airports such as Cheongju, Daegu, or Gimhae. In particular, the number of foreigners entering through Cheongju Airport surged by 109.1% compared to the same period last year. This trend was attributed to both an increase in low-cost carrier (LCC) service supply and a rise in tourists from Taiwan.

The overall inbound tourism market is also recovering rapidly. In his opening remarks, Park Seonghyuk, President of the organization, stated that the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea through July this year reached 12.8 million, a 21.3% increase over the same period last year. President Park identified the growth in regional airport arrivals and increased spending by foreign visitors as the most significant recent changes in the inbound tourism market.

Changes in the Taiwan market stood out among regional airports. As a result of the Korea Tourism Organization's Taipei office gradually expanding tourism marketing from a Busan-centric focus to the broader southern region, the number of Taiwanese travelers entering through Gimhae Airport rose by 157.5% between 2023 and 2025.

Joint marketing initiatives between regions have also proven effective. Last year, in line with the “Year of Southern Tourism,” seven regional governments in the south developed 360 travel packages, attracting 70,000 tourists. This case broadened the movement range of foreign tourists by grouping together multiple flight routes and local governments, rather than focusing on a single region or destination.

Panel Discussion Participants Focused on Regional Airport Cases (from left) Professor Lee Hun, Hanyang University (Chair), Seungmyun Sung, Director of Cheongju Airport, Korea Airports Corporation, Jeonghoon Chae, Head of Aero K, Ransu Jung, Adjunct Professor, Hanyang University, Sanghoon Lee, Head of Sejong-Chungbuk Branch, Korea Tourism Organization. Korea Tourism Organization

The Korea Tourism Organization is now expanding these efforts to other regional airports, such as Cheongju and Daegu. In April, a task force was set up with participation from 29 internal departments. The initiative aims to both develop tourism content and attract new air routes centering on Cheongju and Daegu Airports, while also improving infrastructure linking airports and tourist attractions. The plan goes beyond simply increasing the number of users at regional airports—there is an intention to connect these arrivals to extended regional stays and increased local consumption.

The seminar also spotlighted the ways foreign tourists stay in regional areas. The Korea Tourism Organization’s analysis of accommodation data showed that, fueled by foreign demand, Korea’s local accommodation market has steadily grown for the past three years. While visits to tourist attractions used to be the main reason for booking accommodation, there is now a trend in which performances, sporting events, and other specific activities are becoming “the reason for an extra night’s stay” in a given region.

Connecting K-Content to actual visits was another topic of discussion. In a special session featuring Studio Dragon, strategies were shared on converting interest in locations featured in K-Dramas into tangible tourism demand. The envisioned model sees tourists entering regional airports, staying locally, and then traveling to other areas inspired by content-driven itineraries.

Promotional poster for the 2nd "These Days, Korea Tourism Data Seminar" hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization, held on the 27th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. This seminar focused on changes in the regional tourism market, centered on local airport and accommodation data, as well as K-dramas. Korea Tourism Organization

The Korea Tourism Organization set the theme of this seminar to "regional tourism" precisely because of these changes. Since the itineraries of foreign visitors have become more diverse—from arrival to accommodation and content consumption—regional tourism policy must also move beyond the traditional promotion of a single major attraction to designing strategies that combine air travel, lodging, and content offerings.

President Park Seonghyuk remarked, “As new tourism points of contact such as regional airports, locales, and K-content are now connecting directly with real demand, it is essential to use data to accurately read these changes and find practical solutions on the ground. We are committed to serving as an effective local tourism policy partner that delivers tangible benefits for the regions.”

The detailed analyses presented at the seminar will be published in the second issue of the "These Days, Korea Tourism Report," which will be available at Korea Tourism Data Lab from August 28. The Korea Tourism Organization plans to hold the third seminar in November, focusing on the fast-growing medical tourism market, which is expanding alongside the boom in K-Beauty and wellness.

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