One Year of Lee Jae-myung's Government: Expanding Tourism to Achieve 30 Million Visitors

The government of President Lee Jae-myung marks its first anniversary, having made significant strides in revitalizing the tourism sector and expanding the scope of K-tourism. Notably, during the 11th Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting in February, the president announced an ambitious goal to achieve 30 million foreign tourists, moving the target date up by a year. With 18.94 million visitors recorded last year, the government's commitment to making tourism a key growth driver for the nation is timely.

Among the most notable achievements are bold deregulations and infrastructure improvements aimed at enhancing the tourist experience. The government has effectively lowered barriers to entry for foreign visitors, including the introduction of a visa-free entry trial for groups of three or more from Indonesia and the easing of multiple visa requirements for citizens of major Southeast Asian countries like China and Vietnam. Expanding the use of automated immigration checkpoints for citizens of key countries has also significantly improved entry convenience.

Efforts to distribute foreign tourists beyond the capital region have also been commendable. The concentration of 80% of visitors in Seoul has long been seen as a structural weakness in K-tourism. To address this, the government has aggressively expanded direct international flights to regional airports and provided incentives, such as reduced facility fees for airlines that introduce new routes, thereby broadening access to local areas. The swift implementation of the '100×100 Project' to boost domestic tourism is another positive step, ensuring that the benefits of tourism flow to small businesses and local economies nationwide.

Despite these clear successes, it is essential to assess whether the necessary systemic improvements have been made to meet these ambitious targets. To ensure that tourism revitalization campaigns do not remain one-off events, there must be a continuous supply of differentiated, high-value content. Above all, addressing persistent issues such as overcharging and unfriendliness that tarnish the image of K-tourism remains an unfinished task. While the government has proposed various measures, relying solely on local governments and the industry for self-regulation has shown limitations in eradicating these problems. If the focus remains solely on short-term numerical goals, the dream of becoming a tourism powerhouse may slip away.

For K-tourism to take a significant leap forward, there is an urgent need for institutional enhancements and advanced infrastructure to support quantitative growth. Establishing a cross-regional network that transcends administrative boundaries is a crucial starting point. It is necessary to organically redesign travel routes so that visitors can seamlessly move to various hubs across the country via KTX and other transportation options. Furthermore, leveraging major events like the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju as catalysts for regional tourism activation is essential.

To support these initiatives, a thorough review of related laws, such as the Tourism Promotion Act, is necessary to strengthen the 'Tourism Saemaul Movement' on the ground. Outdated regulations should be boldly removed, and effective standards must be established to eliminate unfair pricing and protect tourists' rights. Tourism is at the forefront of enhancing the national brand and supporting domestic consumption. If the past year has laid the groundwork for expanding the tourism sector, the future challenge will be to use these achievements as a stepping stone to create a South Korea that visitors want to return to.