One in Five Foreign Tourists Arrive via Regional Airports; Cheongju Sees 109% Increase

In the first half of this year, one in five foreign tourists visiting South Korea entered through regional airports. Notably, Cheongju Airport has seen its number of arrivals more than double in the past year, emerging as a new gateway for distributing international visitors across the country.

The Korea Tourism Organization held the '2nd Recent Trends in Korean Tourism Data Seminar' on August 27 at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul, where it released an analysis of regional tourism data. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highlighted the need to create a foundation for the 'K-Tourism Era of 40 Million Visitors' in its recent report, indicating the potential for distributing foreign visitors, who are currently concentrated in the metropolitan area, as evidenced by data on regional airport usage. As of July this year, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea reached 12.8 million, a 21.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the organization, 20.7% of foreign tourists arriving in South Korea in the first half of 2026 used regional airports such as Cheongju, Daegu, and Gimhae, equating to one in five visitors.

The most significant growth was observed at Cheongju Airport, where arrivals increased by 109.1% compared to the same period last year. This surge is attributed to the expansion of low-cost carriers and an increase in tourists from Taiwan.

There has been a rapid increase in the use of regional airports among tourists from Taiwan. Kim Han-kyu, head of the Korea Visit Year Promotion Preparation Team, noted that in the first half of this year, 51.1% of routes from Taiwan to South Korea were to regional airports, surpassing those to metropolitan airports. Kim stated, 'This is a new phenomenon that has not been seen in any other country.'

Regional marketing efforts targeting the Taiwanese market have also yielded results. The organization’s Taipei office began marketing centered around Busan in 2023 and expanded to surrounding areas the following year, eventually covering seven cities and provinces in the southern region last year. The number of Taiwanese arrivals through Gimhae Airport increased by 157.5% from 2023 to 2025. Last year, 360 travel products developed in the southern region attracted over 70,000 visitors.

Kim emphasized the need to identify and promote 'killer content' specific to each region to invigorate local tourism. He explained that rather than promoting all tourism content simultaneously, it is essential to create successful examples centered around competitive content that can then be expanded to other regions.

The organization is also accelerating efforts to attract foreign visitors through regional airports. A task force involving 29 departments was established in April to focus on developing tourism content, securing flight routes, and improving infrastructure centered around Cheongju and Daegu airports.

Another challenge is encouraging tourists to extend their stays in the regions. The domestic accommodation market has seen steady growth over the past three years, driven by foreign demand. Activities such as performances and sports events have been cited as key reasons for travelers choosing to stay overnight.

K-content has been identified as another key to increasing regional stays. A special session involving Studio Dragon shared strategies for converting interest in K-dramas into actual visits to local areas.

Park Sung-hyuk, president of the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, 'As new tourism touchpoints like regional airports and K-content are translating into actual demand, it is crucial to accurately interpret changes through data and find effective solutions on the ground. We will continue to work with the industry and academia to generate quality data and expand opportunities to share the voices from the field, fulfilling our role as a partner in developing tourism policies that genuinely benefit the regions.'

Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.