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Korea Tourism Organization Survey of Theme Park Industry

Average Attendance Down 32% in Three Years

Visitor Numbers Also Fall at Major Parks; Foreign Visitors Account for Just 6%

Operators Seek to Make Up Ground with New Attractions a

As the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea breaks records, they are bringing a boost to the domestic retail market, including food, fashion and beauty. However, the theme park market, a place for experiential activities, is struggling. Foreign visitors make up a smaller share of attendees than domestic visitors, and total attendance is also on the decline. Industry players are working to attract customers by adding new attractions and expanding things to see and do using intellectual property (IP).

Everland. Provided by Samsung C&T Resort Division.

According to a survey on the theme park industry conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization and commissioned to research firm Coremind, the average annual attendance at the 813 theme parks surveyed nationwide was 43,403 in 2025, down about 32% from 63,817 in 2022. The average business revenue of these operators also fell by more than 30%, to KRW 1.08 billion in 2025 from KRW 1.69 billion in 2022 and KRW 1.61 billion in 2023.

The situation is also challenging for relatively large-scale comprehensive theme parks. Under the Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act, a comprehensive theme park is an industry that installs and operates at least six types of facilities subject to safety inspections on a large site or indoors. According to the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, annual attendance at Lotte World in Songpa-gu, Seoul, a leading facility, was about 5.06 million in 2025, down 3.6% from 5.26 million the previous year. Attendance at Everland in Gyeonggi Province and E-World in Daegu also fell by 15.6% and 6.6%, to 4.73 million and 2.94 million, respectively. In particular, domestic visitors accounted for 93.4% of comprehensive theme park attendance in 2025, while foreign visitors made up 6.6%, indicating that the influx of tourists visiting South Korea has had little impact.

Theme park visitors broadly agreed that facilities need to be made more convenient to use. In a survey of 1,000 people aged 15 and older, the largest share of respondents, 60.5%, said that “expensive admission tickets and food and beverage costs should be addressed.” This was followed by “strengthening safety measures, including inspections of aging facilities and accident prevention,” at 47.4%. Many respondents also said it was necessary to “limit the number of visitors to reduce waiting times” (43.3%), “develop a variety of rides and content for different age groups” (42.3%), “provide more rest areas and amenities” (39%), and “improve traffic problems and the shortage of parking spaces” (33.9%).

In 2025, theme park visitors spent an average of KRW 193,000 per person per visit, while visitors to comprehensive theme parks spent more, at KRW 234,000. By category, spending included KRW 64,000 on general admission tickets, KRW 22,000 on tickets for individual rides, KRW 54,000 on food and beverages, KRW 9,000 on merchandise, KRW 42,000 on accommodation, KRW 36,000 on transportation and KRW 6,000 on other items. Spending on admission and food was particularly high.

Major theme park operators are seeking to boost attendance by increasing investment in new attractions and strengthening promotions. In July 2026, Lotte World Adventure unveiled a new ride, “Kong X Godzilla: The Ride,” after making the largest investment ever for a single attraction. Everland marked the 50th anniversary of its opening this year by renovating Safari World and its circus show to offer more attractions for visitors. Meanwhile, Legoland Korea Resort last month introduced a discounted three-person annual pass, priced at around KRW 109,000 per person. The pass allows unlimited visits to Legoland and COEX Aquarium, acquired by its operator, UK-based Merlin Entertainments, for up to 16 months through the end of 2027.

“With the population declining due to factors such as falling birth rates, the domestic theme park market is finding it increasingly difficult to attract potential customers,” an industry official said. “We are continually considering ways to raise our profile as a destination for both domestic and foreign visitors by upgrading aging facilities and introducing distinctive content.”

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