Tourism in South Korea explained

Tourism in South Korea and its industry caters to both foreign and domestic tourists. In 2019, 17.5 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it the 20th most visited country in the world.[1] [2] [3] Most non-Korean tourists come from East Asia and North America, such as Taiwan and the United States. The popularity of Korean popular culture, often known as the "Korean Wave", in countries around the world has significantly increased tourist arrivals.[4]

South Korea has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Changdeokgung PalaceNamhansanseong and Hwaseong Fortress.[5] Seoul is the principal tourist destination for visitors; popular tourist destinations outside of Seoul include the major coastal city of Busan, the Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju and subtropical Jeju Island.[6]

History

In the past, South Koreans were not likely to travel overseas, due to the Korean War and subsequent economic difficulties, as well as government restrictions on overseas travel, with passports issued only for a narrow range of reasons, such as traveling abroad on government businesses, for technical training, and so on. Since the 1960s, overseas travel restrictions and regulations have been continuously reviewed to prevent foreign currency waste from traveling abroad. However, during the 1980s, the liberalization of international travel has begun to take place in catering to the globalization of the South Korea society. Since then, South Koreans have been able to travel freely abroad.[7]

The busy lifestyle of modern South Koreans, leading to difficulties in mediating vacations with family or friends, and the increase in one-person households, have contributed to the growing number of South Koreans traveling alone. Therefore, the popularity of destinations close to South Korea, where South Koreans can go for short vacations alone, are increasing. According to the results of a plane ticket analysis in 2016, the top foreign destination for South Koreans is Osaka, followed by Bangkok and Tokyo. Moreover, Osaka, Tokyo, and Shanghai have high re-visit rates for South Koreans. However European destinations such as London, Paris, and Rome have fallen in re-visit rating, due to geographical distances, expensive air fares and high costs.[8]

International tourists typically enter the country through Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, which was found to be the world's best airport in 2006.[9] Also international airports in Busan and Jeju are frequently used.

Korean tourism industry

See also: Korea Tourism Organization. The majority of the South Korean tourist industry is supported by domestic tourism. Thanks to the country's extensive network of trains and buses, most of the country lies within a day's round trip of any major city.International tourists come primarily from nearby countries or regions in Asia. Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan together account for roughly 75% of the total number of international tourists.[10] In addition, the Korean Wave has brought increasing numbers of tourists from Southeast Asia and India. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is targeting 100,000 arrivals from India in 2013.[11]

Travel destinations of Korean tourists

See also: Provinces of South Korea. The number of Korean domestic tourists has increased since 2010. The number of people who participated in domestic travel (which includes one-day trips) was about 238.3 million (in 2015). It increased by 4.9% compared to 2014 (227.1 million).[12] In 2014, Korean's domestic tourism expenditure was ₩14.4 trillion.[13]

Also, Korean overseas tourist numbers have been increasing since 2010. From 2012 to 2014, the number of South Koreans travelling overseas has risen by about 8.2% on average. In 2014, number of Korean overseas tourists was about 16.1 million. And Korean overseas tourism expenditure was $19,469.9 million.[14]

Statistics

In 2013, travel and tourism (domestic and international) directly contributed ₩26.7 trillion to South Korean GDP and directly supported 617,500 jobs in the country.[15]

In 2018, travel and tourism based on international expenditure directly contributed KRW 16.7 trillion to the South Korean GDP and directly supported 1.4 million jobs, this represented 5.3% of the total employment in the country (OECD).

In 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to the Korean GDP was up 4.2% of the total economy (₩ 81.4 billion). Which accounted for 4.8% of total employment (1.3%). The impact of international visitors accounted for ₩ 26.5 billion (World Travel and Tourism Council).[16]

Spending habits includeLeisure spending 82% vs. Business spending 18%Domestic spending 55% vs. International spending 45%

According to the numbers in the graph, leisure spending is 64% higher than business spending while domestic spending is only 10% higher than international spending.[17]

Arrivals

Visitors arriving to South Korea for tourism by nationality:[18]

Country6/20242023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
2,218,9792,019,424227,358170,215686,4306,023,021 4,789,512
1,431,9992,316,429296,86715,265430,7423,271,706 2,948,527
684,688960,60772,9254,130166,7161,260,493 1,115,333
641,4591,086,415543,648204,025220,4171,044,038 967,992
253,341403,98461,1951,25888,878694,934 683,818
249,231420,688185,06122,94681,939553,731 457,818
247,878342,819199,845116,233115,696503,867 460,168
172,088347,814165,2727,52518,009246,142 231,897
168,328379,442179,2598,31976,568571,610 558,912
164,645250,249106,75046,56366,762278,575 249,067
147,234259,87270,4494,48848,550408,590 382,929
120,194201,84993,06429,79534,734196,153194,259
117,405198,60465,5023,50323,172173,218153,133
91,132158,77560,01932,89773,086343,057 302,542
89,339122,77164,82931,33833,830143,367119,791
78,816132,72065,10720,03822,254120,730115,789
77,203133,40662,61915,70019,371110,794100,096
73,695121,37644,8068,97420,419143,676130,977
65,909135,21662,6705,76921,476113,599113,864
34,51556,71765,95756,72843,40673,72271,094
27,83352,48036,19513,67415,77388,27682,984
27,79847,63118,1384,0916,45552,89446,546
26,47446,87430,2737,21210,24052,96652,859
26,03740,93524,9015,41410,72541,73433,395
24,84249,22525,65113,43412,52139,13837,134
22,71031,74818,0515,3236,56031,29329,558
20,28329,19211,7324,1145,56323,91321,971
19,62939,95615,7221,6606,59838,95434,205
19,11537,34427,1682,4576,43026,31325,926
18,83234,50814,3672,7193,64930,65627,314
17,58127,528440365,90552,46252,831
15,52322,8548,6091,6833,95423,78819,745
13,75021,40415,4374,0575,07018,33817,901
13,53222,1418,6763,4725,72630,48125,192
11,92520,2178,0691,4961,88417,84718,103
11,12015,97613,30514,20611,56827,66725,608
10,99417,3498,4911,0981,71614,15811,553
10,98619,88815,2742,9464,53017,95216,151
10,97611,9114,1683791,45012,81611,924
10,09618,9747,4551,5252,18819,70919,503
8,86816,8787,7282,1482,49714,53912,499
8,09211,7855,8723,2953,20012,78111,372
7,76012,6465,5161,1953,14313,14411,795
7,73812,1979,5112,5643,60313,72114,188
7,35413,0536,5561,9202,39712,57012,635
7,18112,6685,5112,8613,03313,91214,372
7,02113,5646,1381,3962,05913,45312,044
6,3359,5363,82714001,85611,42510,794
6,04213,4256,2661,0391,44517,10215,328
6,0319,2443,9628751,63110,2118,723
5,82810,6904,5749211,50711,77013,615
5,3637,8395,5863,3173,0389,7569,290
5,3108,8083,1187262,53611,52710,759
5,3008,2094,8953,6863,0047,1074,280
4,8246,6432,6545709757,3845,876
4,7488,4045,3882,1151,4397,6597,305
4,3607,4133,3569981,1546,1784,754
4,0217,4024,7361,4291,46013,22611,427
3,5556,0501,9442541,0355,9445,149
3,5284,8831,6913549695,1534,832
3,0523,9282,4691,5942,0475,9626,083
2,8975,6433,7731,9071,5075,8337,630
2,6626,7001,4471127236,7954,876
2,3875,8463,6191,4058284,4892,863
2,0433,9442,4867371,0855,0094,284
Total 7,701,40711,031,6653,198,017967,0032,519,11817,502,756 15,346,879
Year Number of international visitor
arriving in S. Korea
% change from
previous year
2003 4,752,762 -11.1
2004 5,818,138 +22.4
2005 6,022,752 +3.5
2006 6,155,046 +2.2
2007 6,448,240 +4.8
2008 6,890,841 +6.9
2009 7,817,533 +13.4
2010 8,797,658 +12.5
2011 9,794,796 +11.3
2012 11,140,028 +13.7
2013 12,175,550 +9.3
2014 14,201,516 +16.6
2015 13,231,651 -6.8
2016 17,241,823 +30.3
2017 13,335,758 -22.7
2018 15,346,879 +15.1
2019 17,502,756 +14.0

China

China has been South Korea's largest tourism source for years. In 2016, visitors from China made up 46.8% of tourists in South Korea. However China imposed the group tour ban after the US military started to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. From April 2017, Chinese tourists plummeted by more than 60% compared to the previous year.[19] [20] In recent years, the South Korean tourism industry has made it a long-term goal to reduce dependency on Chinese tourists.[21]

Japan

Since Lee Myung-bak's visit to the Liancourt Rocks and his demand for an apology from the Emperor of Japan over Japanese colonialism in Korea in 2012, the Japanese public's image of South Korea deteriorated significantly. Japanese tourists to South Korea declined by half from 3.5 million in 2012 to 1.8 million in 2015, while South Korean tourists to Japan doubled from 2 million in 2012 to 4 million in 2015.[22] [23] [24]

Domestic tourist

YearNumber of domestic tourist per year[25] [26] [27]
201538,307,303
201438,027,454
201337,800,004
201236,914,067
201135,013,090
201030,916,690
200931,201,294

Destination in Korea

Number of Tourist by Travel Destination 2015!Administrative divisions!Number of tourist
Seoul12,451,891
Busan7,158,553
Daegu3,163,161
Incheon4,407,063
Gwangju2,135,332
Daejeon2,984,929
Ulsan1,632,410
Sejong333,329
Gyeonggi Province15,451,755
Gangwon Province11,559,005
North Chungcheong Province5,141,110
South Chungcheong Province9,944,616
North Jeolla Province6,760,830
South Jeolla Province8,063,538
North Gyeongsang Province8,822,201
South Gyeongsang Province8,479,567
Jeju Special Self-governing Province4,732,494

Departure

YearNumber of overseas trip tourist
201519,310,430
201416,080,684
201314,846,485
201213,736,976
201112,693,733
201012,488,364
20099,494,111
Destination!Number of Korean exit passenger
Asiamainland China4,775,000
Japan7,140,200
Thailand1,372,994
Philippines1,587,959
Hong Kong1,421,411
Vietnam3,485,406
Taiwan1,019,441
Singapore629,451
Macao662,321
AmericaUnited States2,324,707

Tourist attractions

See also: List of World Heritage Sites in South Korea. South Korea's historical tourist attractions include the ancient capitals of Seoul, Gyeongju and Buyeo.

Some natural landmarks include the peaks of the Baekdudaegan, particularly Seorak-san and Jiri-san, the caves of Danyang and Hwanseongul, and beaches such as Haeundae and Mallipo.

Apart from Jeju island, there are many smaller islands. Excursion ferries are quite common along the south and west coasts and also to Ulleung-do Island, off the east coast. Limited tourism mainly by South Koreans to the Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo) has grown in recent years as a result of the political status of the rocks.

Many local districts hold annual festivals, such as the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival.

Major tourist destinations

See main article: List of South Korean tourist attractions.

Seoul

See also: Shopping in Seoul. Seoul is an attractive place because traditional Korean culture and modern culture co-exists, to foreigners.

The population of Seoul is 9,981,673 and it's the largest city in South Korea. As many people gather, there are many cultural spaces such as festivals, performances, shopping places, and tourist attractions in Seoul.

In addition, people in South Korea come to Seoul to enjoy various cultural activities.[28] Due to the metropolitan area centralization of the cultural infrastructure, there is a cultural gap between Seoul and other regions.[29] According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 36.4 percent of the total cultural infrastructure such as public library, museum, and art galleries are concentrated in Seoul. Therefore, many people in South Korea travel to Seoul.

The Seoul Trail is a walking trail that goes around the city.[30] [31]

Busan

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea. It is located in the southeastern coast in Korea, so Busan has abundant tourist attractions such as beach and hot spring. People in South Korea visit beaches in Busan in hot summer. Also, there are various festivals in Busan. 11 festivals are held annually, including local festivals and art events. Busan sea festival is held every August and Busan International Film Festival is held every October. Jagalchi Cultural Festival is developed into a representative cultural tourism festival in Korea. Because of these various festivals and places, many people travel to Busan. Also, the influence of Social Network Service made Busan a popular tourist attraction. The official Facebook of the Busan Culture and Tourism Ministry and official blog sites promote the tourist attractions in Busan.

Byeolmaro Observatory, Donggang Photo Museum, Bongraesan Mountain. Hanbando terrain in Soyanggang River

See also: Tourism in Gyeongju.

Events

See also: List of South Korean festivals. South Korea has hosted many international events, including the 1988 Summer Olympics, the 1993 Taejon Expo, the 2002 FIFA World Cup (jointly hosted with Japan), the 2005 APEC conference, the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit, the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

See also

References

0. For entering South Korea, individuals must apply ETA “K-ETA” for visiting visa free program for tourists.

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UNTWO World Tourism Barometer, Vol.5 No.2 . 2008-10-15 . UNTWO . June 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080819191518/http://www.tourismroi.com/Content_Attachments/27670/File_633513750035785076.pdf . 2008-08-19 .
  2. Web site: International tourism, number of arrivals - Korea, Rep. . World Bank.
  3. Web site: 30 Most Visited Countries in the World and their most visited places . Govisity.
  4. Web site: Korea Monthly Statistics.
  5. Web site: Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List . UNESCO.
  6. Web site: Statistics Korea: Resort island of Jeju is booming.
  7. Web site: 1989년 1월 7일 경향신문, 네이버 뉴스 라이브러리. 1989-01-07. ko.
  8. News: 한국인이 가장 많이 떠나는 즉흥 여행 1위 '오사카'…2위 '도쿄'. 2016-09-08. 국제신문(Kookje News). ko. Korean's most favorite spontaneous travel destinations.
  9. News: Phillips. Don. Travelers call Incheon best airport. International Herald Tribune. March 7, 2006.
  10. http://www.oecd.org/korea/33649881.pdf Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  11. Web site: South Korea in hot pursuit of Indians. TTGmice. 14 March 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140228122052/http://www.ttgmice.com/article/south-korea-in-hot-pursuit-of-indians/. 28 February 2014.
  12. Web site: 국민여행 총량. 2016-09-23. ko. Gross national travel amount.
  13. News: 국내 관광 5% 늘면 1조2000억 효과. 이 (Lee). 태훈 (Taehun). 2016-09-06. The Korea Economic Daily. ko. If domestic tourism increases by 5%, its effect makes 1.2 trillion won. 2016-10-31.
  14. 2016. 2015년 12월 외래객입국·국민해외여행객 및 관광수입·지출 동향. foreign entrance·nation outbound traveler and tourism income·expense trend December 2015. 한국 관광 통계. ko.
  15. Web site: 2013 Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report South Korea. World Travel & Tourism Council. 2013-11-27. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234330/http://wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/south_korea2013_2.pdf. 2013-12-02.
  16. Web site: OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2020 . Korea OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2020 OECD iLibrary . OECD iLibrary . 4 April 2021.
  17. Web site: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) . Travel & Tourism Economic Impact World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) . World Travel & Tourism Council . 4 April 2021.
  18. Web site: Visitor Arrivals. Korea Tourism Organization. 2020-03-06.
  19. Web site: South Korea tourism hit by China ban . 11 July 2017 . BBC .
  20. Web site: Home>Tourism Statistics > key facts on tourism > Korea, Monthly Statistics of Tourism . Korea Tourism Organization.
  21. Web site: 한국을 대표하는 글로벌 방송! The World On Arirang!. Foundation. The Korea International Broadcasting. Korea works to diversify its tourists by offering convenient services and special experiences : ARIRANG. en. 2020-04-11.
  22. Web site: Aide's memoir tells why S. Korean president demanded apology from emperor . January 6, 2016 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303030334/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/korean_peninsula/AJ201601060005 . March 3, 2016 .
  23. Web site: Foreign visitors to Japan . Japan National Tourism Organization . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160127072044/http://www.jnto.go.jp/jpn/reference/tourism_data/pdf/2013_15_tourists.pdf . 2016-01-27 .
  24. Web site: Press release . Japan National Tourism Organization .
  25. Web site: 2012국민여행실태조사최종보고서. Korea Tourism Organization. ko. Korean National Tourism Survey 2012. 2016-11-23.
  26. Web site: 2015국민여행실태조사보고서. Korea Tourism Organization. ko. Korea National Tourism Survey 2015. 2016-11-23.
  27. Web site: 2009년국민여행실태조사. Korea Tourism Organization. ko. Korea National Tourism Survey 2009. 2016-11-23.
  28. News: 지역간 문화격차 '참담'. 조 (Jo). 용철 (Yongcheol). 2016-10-10. The Financial News. ko. Cultural gap between regions are big problem.
  29. News: 이종배 "문화 향유기회 확대 및 문화격차 해소해야". 김(Kim). 동민(Dongmin). 2016-10-13. 충북일보(Chungbugilbo). ko. "Expand the scope of cultures and eliminate cultural gaps" Lee Jongbae.
  30. Web site: About Seoul Trail . 2024-07-10 . . en-US.
  31. Web site: Cho . Jung-woo . 2024-06-23 . Seoul Trail hike gives international students taste of city's greener side . 2024-07-10 . . en.