Sokcho Sees 30.1% Rise in Foreign Tourists, Tourism Spending Also Hits 214.8 Billion Won

8.16 million visitors in Q3... 1.49 million overnight visitors, up 4.2% year-on-year
Mayor Lee Byeongseon: "We'll create tourism that encourages longer stays and supports local businesses"

Foreign tourist numbers in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, rose 30.1% in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Total visitor numbers, overnight stays and tourism spending also increased.

A bustling cruise terminal. Courtesy of Sokcho City.

Sokcho City said an analysis of data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab of the Korea Tourism Organization found that the city had 8,164,981 visitors in the third quarter, up 3.6% from the same period last year. Sokcho ranked third in Gangwon Province for visitor numbers, up one place from the same period last year. The cumulative number of visitors from January through September this year was 20,338,520.

The year-on-year increase in foreign tourists grew each quarter. Their numbers rose 14.8% in the first quarter and 29.6% in the second, before increasing 30.1% in the third quarter.

Tourism spending grew faster than the number of visitors overall. Tourism spending in the third quarter totaled approximately 214.8 billion won, up 12.1% from the same period last year. Overnight visitors numbered approximately 1.49 million, up 4.2%, keeping Sokcho in second place in the province. Overnight stays increased across all durations: one night, two nights, and three nights or more.

Searches for major tourist attractions also continued. In the third-quarter ranking of navigation searches in the province, Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market took first place. Sokcho Beach ranked sixth, Seorak Cable Car 13th, and Daepo Port 26th.

The city plans to expand tailored tourism products for foreign independent travelers and improve content and visitor convenience so that visits to tourist attractions lead to spending at local businesses.

The city will also work to attract more visitors for weekday and off-season stays. It plans to expand stay programs that make use of accommodation facilities and allow visitors to combine work and vacation, and to promote Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) projects.

Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said, "It is significant that the number of foreign tourists continues to grow and that visits, overnight stays and spending are all increasing. We will carefully improve tourism products and visitor convenience so that tourists who come to Sokcho stay longer, enjoy the city's diverse attractions, and spend in ways that support local residents and merchants."

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