Tourism Spending Jumped 48% as Visitor Arrivals Rose 21%... Foreign Tourists' Spending Nears 16 Trillion Won

17.11 million visitors to South Korea from January to September, up 21.5% year over year
Tourism-sector card spending reaches 15.9416 trillion won, growing 2.2 times as fast as visitor numbers
5.47 million visitors from China, 3.12 million from Japan and 1.86 million from Taiwan; Taiwan leads with 32.4% growth
Regional airports and ports account for 28.2% of arrivals; on track to surpass last year's annual record for visitors to South Korea

While the number of foreign tourists who visited South Korea this year rose 21.5% from last year, card spending in the tourism sector increased 47.7%. The growth in tourism spending was more than twice the growth in visitor numbers. Cumulative arrivals through September also surpassed 17 million, putting this year's total on the verge of exceeding last year's annual record of 18.94 million.

On the 6th, Myeongdong streets in Jung-gu, Seoul, were bustling with foreign tourists and local residents. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 17.11 million foreign tourists visited Korea from January to September this year, up 21.5% from the same period last year. Card spending in the tourism sector rose 47.7% to 15.9416 trillion won. Yonhap News.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 22 that 17.11 million foreign tourists visited South Korea from January to September this year, up 21.5% from the 14.08 million recorded during the same period last year.

A total of 2.06 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in September, up 21.1% from the same month last year. Monthly arrivals exceeded 2 million for the third consecutive month, following 2.09 million in July and 2.25 million in August.

Spending growth was even more pronounced than the increase in tourist numbers. From January to September this year, foreign tourists' card spending in the tourism sector totaled 15.9416 trillion won, up 5.1476 trillion won (47.7%) from 10.794 trillion won during the same period last year. This was about 2.2 times the growth rate in visitor numbers.

The tourism-sector card spending figure includes online purchases and is distinct from foreign tourists' total travel expenses or actual per-person spending. Even so, it is notable that not only the number of tourists but also the volume of tourism-related payments is growing rapidly.

By country, China had the most tourists, with 5.47 million. This was a 29.2% increase from the same period last year and accounted for about 32% of all foreign visitors to South Korea. Japan recorded 3.12 million, up 16.9%, while Taiwan had 1.86 million, up 32.4%. Among major single-country and regional markets, Taiwan's growth rate exceeded those of China and Japan.

The number of tourists from Hong Kong reached 550,000, an increase of 18.6%. Arrivals from the Americas rose 12.0% to 1.62 million, while those from Europe increased 20.0% to 1.19 million.

There has also been a shift in the entry routes used by tourists visiting South Korea. Through September this year, 3.24 million foreign visitors entered through regional airports, including Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu, up 37.4% from the same period last year. They accounted for 19.0% of all foreign visitors to South Korea.

Arrivals through ports outside the Seoul metropolitan area, including Busan, Jeju, Seogwipo, Yeosu and Gunsan, rose 14.5% to 1.58 million, accounting for 9.2% of the total. The combined share of arrivals through regional airports and non-metropolitan ports was 28.2%, about 1.6 percentage points higher than during the same period last year, according to the analysis.

By contrast, 11.79 million visitors entered through airports in the Seoul metropolitan area, an increase of 17.3%. The growth rate in arrivals through regional airports was more than twice that of metropolitan airports, meaning the share of entry routes outside the metropolitan area expanded.

This shift shows that more foreign tourists are entering South Korea through regional airports. To assess the actual impact on regional tourism, it will be necessary to examine the areas visitors travel to after arrival, the length of their stays and spending by region.

The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year is also expected to surpass last year's annual record soon. South Korea received 18.94 million foreign visitors last year, leaving a gap of 1.83 million compared with the cumulative total through September this year. With monthly arrivals recently holding at around 2 million, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expects this year's total to exceed last year's annual figure in October.

Kang Jeongwon, head of the Tourism Policy Office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "Our multifaceted efforts to raise awareness of tourism to South Korea, improve the travel environment and expand content are bearing fruit." He added, "We plan to hold a press briefing soon to share this year's achievements in detail and introduce next year's policy direction."

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