A historic milestone is within reach as South Korea is set to achieve its first annual total of 20 million foreign visitors. Over the first eight months of this year, the number of foreign tourists exceeded 15 million, with 2.25 million arriving in August alone, marking the highest monthly total on record. If the remaining four months see the same number of visitors as last year, the country will surpass the 20 million mark.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, 15,048,435 foreign visitors came to South Korea from January to August, a 21.6% increase compared to 12,379,498 during the same period last year. This year, the 15 million mark was reached in August, compared to mid-October last year.
In August, the number of visitors rose by 23.3% compared to the same month last year. The monthly totals have remained high, with 2.05 million in March, 2.03 million in April, 1.95 million in May, 1.99 million in June, and 2.09 million in July.
To reach the 20 million goal, approximately 4.95 million more visitors are needed. An average of 1.24 million visitors per month from September to December would suffice, which is lower than this year's average of 1.88 million and even below January's low of 1.27 million.
Last year, around 6.56 million visitors came to South Korea from September to December. If this year's numbers match last year's, the total for the year could be around 21.6 million, significantly exceeding last year's record of 18.94 million.
From January to August, foreign tourists spent 14.18 trillion won in the tourism sector, a 48.5% increase from 9.44 trillion won during the same period last year. This growth rate is more than double the 21.6% increase in visitor numbers. This is the highest cumulative spending recorded since tracking began.
When calculated per visitor, spending amounts to approximately 930,000 won, which is over 20% more than last year's figure of about 760,000 won. However, this spending includes online payments, so it may differ from actual per-visitor expenditures.
Despite the overall increase, recent monthly trends have varied. While visitor numbers have risen each month since May, card spending peaked at 2.12 trillion won in May and has declined for three consecutive months, dropping to 2.06 trillion won in June, 1.95 trillion won in July, and 1.93 trillion won in August. The average spending per visitor based on monthly card consumption fell from about 1.09 million won in May to around 860,000 won in August.
The surge in visitors has been primarily driven by travelers from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, who accounted for 7,005,163 visitors from January to August, or 46.6% of the total. This represents a 28.9% increase from the same period last year, with 4,816,134 from China (up 29.0%) and 1,656,255 from Taiwan (up 32.2%).
Major Southeast Asian markets also saw double-digit growth rates. Indonesia led with a 22.5% increase, followed by the Philippines at 16.1%, Thailand at 14.9%, Malaysia at 12.6%, Singapore at 11.9%, and Vietnam at 10.5%.
The government eased multiple visa issuance requirements for 11 Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, starting March 30. Since May 28, a temporary visa waiver for group tourists from Indonesia has been in effect. From January to August, the number of one-way flights from Indonesia increased by 8.8%, from 3,651 last year to 3,974 this year.
South Korea's visitor growth rate outpaced that of neighboring countries. According to tourism statistics, Japan saw a 2.7% decrease, Thailand a 3.1% decrease, and Vietnam a 14.4% increase during the same period. South Korea's visitor numbers rose by 21.6%. However, Japan still leads in total visitors, with 27.63 million, surpassing South Korea by about 12.58 million.
The entry routes have also diversified. From January to August, the number of visitors arriving through regional airports reached 2.83 million, a 38.2% increase compared to the same period last year, significantly higher than the 17.5% increase at airports in the capital region. When combined with the 1.36 million arriving through regional ports, the total number of foreign visitors through regional airports and ports reached approximately 4.19 million, accounting for 27.8% of all visitors to South Korea.
“The improvement in entry convenience and tailored marketing strategies are diversifying the types of visitors coming to South Korea,” said Kang Jeong-won, head of the tourism policy division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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