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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 Palace, Namhansanseong 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]
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.
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]
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]
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 include Leisure 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]
Visitors arriving to South Korea for tourism by nationality: [18]
Country | 6/2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 2,218,979 | 2,019,424 | 227,358 | 170,215 | 686,430 | 6,023,021 | 4,789,512 |
Japan | 1,431,999 | 2,316,429 | 296,867 | 15,265 | 430,742 | 3,271,706 | 2,948,527 |
Taiwan | 684,688 | 960,607 | 72,925 | 4,130 | 166,716 | 1,260,493 | 1,115,333 |
United States | 641,459 | 1,086,415 | 543,648 | 204,025 | 220,417 | 1,044,038 | 967,992 |
Hong Kong | 253,341 | 403,984 | 61,195 | 1,258 | 88,878 | 694,934 | 683,818 |
Vietnam | 249,231 | 420,688 | 185,061 | 22,946 | 81,939 | 553,731 | 457,818 |
Philippines | 247,878 | 342,819 | 199,845 | 116,233 | 115,696 | 503,867 | 460,168 |
Singapore | 172,088 | 347,814 | 165,272 | 7,525 | 18,009 | 246,142 | 231,897 |
Thailand | 168,328 | 379,442 | 179,259 | 8,319 | 76,568 | 571,610 | 558,912 |
Indonesia | 164,645 | 250,249 | 106,750 | 46,563 | 66,762 | 278,575 | 249,067 |
Malaysia | 147,234 | 259,872 | 70,449 | 4,488 | 48,550 | 408,590 | 382,929 |
Canada | 120,194 | 201,849 | 93,064 | 29,795 | 34,734 | 196,153 | 194,259 |
Australia | 117,405 | 198,604 | 65,502 | 3,503 | 23,172 | 173,218 | 153,133 |
Russia | 91,132 | 158,775 | 60,019 | 32,897 | 73,086 | 343,057 | 302,542 |
India | 89,339 | 122,771 | 64,829 | 31,338 | 33,830 | 143,367 | 119,791 |
Germany | 78,816 | 132,720 | 65,107 | 20,038 | 22,254 | 120,730 | 115,789 |
France | 77,203 | 133,406 | 62,619 | 15,700 | 19,371 | 110,794 | 100,096 |
United Kingdom | 73,695 | 121,376 | 44,806 | 8,974 | 20,419 | 143,676 | 130,977 |
Mongolia | 65,909 | 135,216 | 62,670 | 5,769 | 21,476 | 113,599 | 113,864 |
Myanmar | 34,515 | 56,717 | 65,957 | 56,728 | 43,406 | 73,722 | 71,094 |
Uzbekistan | 27,833 | 52,480 | 36,195 | 13,674 | 15,773 | 88,276 | 82,984 |
Italy | 27,798 | 47,631 | 18,138 | 4,091 | 6,455 | 52,894 | 46,546 |
Kazakhstan | 26,474 | 46,874 | 30,273 | 7,212 | 10,240 | 52,966 | 52,859 |
Cambodia | 26,037 | 40,935 | 24,901 | 5,414 | 10,725 | 41,734 | 33,395 |
Netherlands | 24,842 | 49,225 | 25,651 | 13,434 | 12,521 | 39,138 | 37,134 |
Turkey | 22,710 | 31,748 | 18,051 | 5,323 | 6,560 | 31,293 | 29,558 |
Poland | 20,283 | 29,192 | 11,732 | 4,114 | 5,563 | 23,913 | 21,971 |
New Zealand | 19,629 | 39,956 | 15,722 | 1,660 | 6,598 | 38,954 | 34,205 |
Nepal | 19,115 | 37,344 | 27,168 | 2,457 | 6,430 | 26,313 | 25,926 |
Spain | 18,832 | 34,508 | 14,367 | 2,719 | 3,649 | 30,656 | 27,314 |
Macau | 17,581 | 27,528 | 440 | 36 | 5,905 | 52,462 | 52,831 |
Brazil | 15,523 | 22,854 | 8,609 | 1,683 | 3,954 | 23,788 | 19,745 |
Sri Lanka | 13,750 | 21,404 | 15,437 | 4,057 | 5,070 | 18,338 | 17,901 |
Mexico | 13,532 | 22,141 | 8,676 | 3,472 | 5,726 | 30,481 | 25,192 |
Switzerland | 11,925 | 20,217 | 8,069 | 1,496 | 1,884 | 17,847 | 18,103 |
Ukraine | 11,120 | 15,976 | 13,305 | 14,206 | 11,568 | 27,667 | 25,608 |
Saudi Arabia | 10,994 | 17,349 | 8,491 | 1,098 | 1,716 | 14,158 | 11,553 |
Bangladesh | 10,986 | 19,888 | 15,274 | 2,946 | 4,530 | 17,952 | 16,151 |
Laos | 10,976 | 11,911 | 4,168 | 379 | 1,450 | 12,816 | 11,924 |
Sweden | 10,096 | 18,974 | 7,455 | 1,525 | 2,188 | 19,709 | 19,503 |
Belgium | 8,868 | 16,878 | 7,728 | 2,148 | 2,497 | 14,539 | 12,499 |
Romania | 8,092 | 11,785 | 5,872 | 3,295 | 3,200 | 12,781 | 11,372 |
South Africa | 7,760 | 12,646 | 5,516 | 1,195 | 3,143 | 13,144 | 11,795 |
Pakistan | 7,738 | 12,197 | 9,511 | 2,564 | 3,603 | 13,721 | 14,188 |
Austria | 7,354 | 13,053 | 6,556 | 1,920 | 2,397 | 12,570 | 12,635 |
Finland | 7,181 | 12,668 | 5,511 | 2,861 | 3,033 | 13,912 | 14,372 |
Denmark | 7,021 | 13,564 | 6,138 | 1,396 | 2,059 | 13,453 | 12,044 |
Portugal | 6,335 | 9,536 | 3,827 | 1400 | 1,856 | 11,425 | 10,794 |
Israel | 6,042 | 13,425 | 6,266 | 1,039 | 1,445 | 17,102 | 15,328 |
Ireland | 6,031 | 9,244 | 3,962 | 875 | 1,631 | 10,211 | 8,723 |
Norway | 5,828 | 10,690 | 4,574 | 921 | 1,507 | 11,770 | 13,615 |
Greece | 5,363 | 7,839 | 5,586 | 3,317 | 3,038 | 9,756 | 9,290 |
Czech Republic | 5,310 | 8,808 | 3,118 | 726 | 2,536 | 11,527 | 10,759 |
Ethiopia | 5,300 | 8,209 | 4,895 | 3,686 | 3,004 | 7,107 | 4,280 |
Colombia | 4,824 | 6,643 | 2,654 | 570 | 975 | 7,384 | 5,876 |
Kyrgyzstan | 4,748 | 8,404 | 5,388 | 2,115 | 1,439 | 7,659 | 7,305 |
Hungary | 4,360 | 7,413 | 3,356 | 998 | 1,154 | 6,178 | 4,754 |
United Arab Emirates | 4,021 | 7,402 | 4,736 | 1,429 | 1,460 | 13,226 | 11,427 |
Chile | 3,555 | 6,050 | 1,944 | 254 | 1,035 | 5,944 | 5,149 |
Argentina | 3,528 | 4,883 | 1,691 | 354 | 969 | 5,153 | 4,832 |
Croatia | 3,052 | 3,928 | 2,469 | 1,594 | 2,047 | 5,962 | 6,083 |
Egypt | 2,897 | 5,643 | 3,773 | 1,907 | 1,507 | 5,833 | 7,630 |
Brunei | 2,662 | 6,700 | 1,447 | 112 | 723 | 6,795 | 4,876 |
Tajikistan | 2,387 | 5,846 | 3,619 | 1,405 | 828 | 4,489 | 2,863 |
Morocco | 2,043 | 3,944 | 2,486 | 737 | 1,085 | 5,009 | 4,284 |
Total | 7,701,407 | 11,031,665 | 3,198,017 | 967,003 | 2,519,118 | 17,502,756 | 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 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]
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]
Year | Number of domestic tourist per year [25] [26] [27] |
---|---|
2015 | 38,307,303 |
2014 | 38,027,454 |
2013 | 37,800,004 |
2012 | 36,914,067 |
2011 | 35,013,090 |
2010 | 30,916,690 |
2009 | 31,201,294 |
Administrative divisions | Number of tourist |
---|---|
Seoul | 12,451,891 |
Busan | 7,158,553 |
Daegu | 3,163,161 |
Incheon | 4,407,063 |
Gwangju | 2,135,332 |
Daejeon | 2,984,929 |
Ulsan | 1,632,410 |
Sejong | 333,329 |
Gyeonggi Province | 15,451,755 |
Gangwon Province | 11,559,005 |
North Chungcheong Province | 5,141,110 |
South Chungcheong Province | 9,944,616 |
North Jeolla Province | 6,760,830 |
South Jeolla Province | 8,063,538 |
North Gyeongsang Province | 8,822,201 |
South Gyeongsang Province | 8,479,567 |
Jeju Special Self-governing Province | 4,732,494 |
Year | Number of overseas trip tourist [26] |
---|---|
2015 | 19,310,430 |
2014 | 16,080,684 |
2013 | 14,846,485 |
2012 | 13,736,976 |
2011 | 12,693,733 |
2010 | 12,488,364 |
2009 | 9,494,111 |
Destination | Number of Korean exit passenger | |
---|---|---|
Asia | mainland China | 4,775,000 |
Japan | 7,140,200 | |
Thailand | 1,372,994 | |
Philippines | 1,587,959 | |
Hong Kong | 1,421,411 | |
Vietnam | 3,485,406 | |
Taiwan | 1,019,441 | |
Singapore | 629,451 | |
Macao | 662,321 | |
America | United States | 2,324,707 |
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.
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. [29] Due to the metropolitan area centralization of the cultural infrastructure, there is a cultural gap between Seoul and other regions. [30] 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. [31] [32]
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
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.
Busan, officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million inhabitants as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, with its port being South Korea's busiest and the sixth-busiest in the world. The surrounding "Southeastern Maritime Industrial Region" is South Korea's largest industrial area. The large volumes of port traffic and urban population in excess of 1 million make Busan a Large-Port metropolis using the Southampton System of Port-City classification. As of 2019, Busan Port is the primary port in Korea and the world's sixth-largest container port.
Jeju Province, officially Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, is the southernmost province of South Korea, consisting of eight inhabited and 55 uninhabited islands, including Mara Island, Udo Island, the Chuja Archipelago, and the country's largest island, Jeju Island. The province is located in the Korea Strait, with the Korean Peninsula to the northwest, Japan to the east, and China to the west. The province has two cities: the capital Jeju City, on the northern half of the island and Seogwipo, on the southern half of the island. The island is home to the shield volcano Hallasan, the highest point in South Korea. Jeju and Korean are the official languages of the province, and the vast majority of residents are bilingual.
South Gyeongsang Province is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and tourist attraction, is located in this province. Automobile and petrochemical factories are largely concentrated along the southern part of the province, extending from Ulsan through Busan, Changwon, and Jinju.
Daegu, formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in southeastern South Korea.
Gyeongju, historically known as Seorabeol, is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km2 (511 sq mi) with a population of 264,091 people as of December 2012. Gyeongju is 370 km (230 mi) southeast of Seoul, and 55 km (34 mi) east of Daegu. The city borders Cheongdo and Yeongcheon to the west, Ulsan to the south and Pohang to the north, while to the east lies the coast of the Sea of Japan. Numerous low mountains—outliers of the Taebaek range—are scattered around the city.
Jeju City is the capital of the Jeju Province in South Korea and the largest city on Jeju Island. The city is served by Jeju International Airport.
Korean architecture refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea. Throughout the history of Korea, various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Buddhism and Korean Confucianism.
Tourism in Gyeongju is a major industry and defining feature of Gyeongju, South Korea. Gyeongju is a major cultural site and tourist destination for South Koreans and foreigners with about 8 to 9 million visitors annually. A great deal of this is due to the city's status as a center of Silla heritage, derived from its former role as the capital of that ancient kingdom.
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 square kilometres (511 sq mi) with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. The early history of Gyeongju is closely tied to that of the Silla kingdom, of which it was the capital for nearly one thousand years.
The Korea Tourism Organization is an organization of the Republic of Korea under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Capital Area, encompassing Gyeonggi province and Incheon metropolitan city, emerged as the world's fourth largest metropolitan economy in 2014, trailing only Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles, hosting more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at slightly over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at approximately 9.97 million residents as of 2020. Seoul is the seat of the South Korean government.
Lotte Hotels and Resorts is a South Korean luxury hotel chain operated by Lotte Hotel Co., Ltd., the hospitality arm of Lotte Corporation. The company was founded in May 1973. Starting with the opening of Lotte Hotel Seoul in 1979, luxury chain hotels opened in Jamsil, Busan, Jeju, and Ulsan. The first business hotel, Lotte City Hotel Mapo, opened in April 2009, and the first overseas chain, Lotte Hotel Moscow, opened in June 2010. On December 8, 2011, the second business hotel, Lotte City Hotel Gimpo Airport opened within the Lotte Mall Gimpo Airport complex.
Tourism in Mongolia was extremely limited by the Socialist Government, but has been expanding following the 1990 Democratic Revolution in Mongolia in the wake of the collapse of the USSR and the Revolutions of 1989. Mongolia is a unique and relatively unexplored travel destination that offers a great combination of scenic natural features, a wide variety of untouched landscapes, nomadic life style and culture. Travel organizations in Mongolia date back to half a century ago, but the private sector-based tourism is barely twenty years old. Now Mongolia boasts 403 travel companies, 320 hotels, 647 resorts and tourist camps, all employing the graduates from over 56 educational establishments. Mongolia takes an active part in United Nations World Tourism Organization, of which it is a member party.
The Donghae Line is a railway line connecting Busanjin station to Yeongdeok in South Korea. The literal meaning of its name, the "East Sea Line," reflects its position along the nation's East coast. It merged with the Donghae Nambu Line on December 30, 2016, and will merge with the Donghae Bukbu Line.
Jeonju Hanok Village is a village in the city of Jeonju, South Korea, and overlaps with the Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong neighborhoods. The village contains over 800 Korean traditional houses called Hanok. The village is famous among Koreans and tourists because of its traditional buildings that strongly contrast with the modern city around it. The village was designated as an International Slow City in 2010 in recognition of its relaxed pace of life where traditional culture and nature blend harmoniously. The number of visitors to Jeonju Hanok Village has increased sharply since the 2000s. The visitor numbers more than doubled from 2007 to 2014, from 3.17 million to 7.89 million. Excluding Seoul, Jeonju is ranked third among major tourist cities throughout Korea, behind Jeju and Busan.
The Jeju Tourism Organization is a public company associated with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in the Republic of Korea. It is tasked with promoting Jeju Island's tourism industry domestically and internationally.
0. For entering South Korea, individuals must apply ETA “K-ETA” for visiting visa free program for tourists.