This year, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea has surpassed 17 million, narrowing the gap with last year's total of 18.94 million by 1.83 million. If this trend continues, it is expected that the total for the year will exceed last year's figures by the end of this month. Additionally, foreign tourists' card spending in the tourism sector has increased by 47.7% compared to the same period last year, approaching 16 trillion won.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's report on 'September 2026 Tourism Trends,' the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea from January to September reached 17.11 million, a 21.5% increase from 14.08 million during the same period last year.
The cumulative number of visitors this year is just 2.89 million short of reaching 20 million. Considering that an average of about 1.9 million people visited South Korea each month until September, there is a possibility of surpassing 20 million by the end of the year.
By nationality, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest group at 5.47 million, marking a 29.2% increase from the same period last year. Japanese visitors totaled 3.12 million, up 16.9%, while Taiwanese tourists reached 1.86 million, a 32.4% increase. Together, tourists from China, Japan, and Taiwan make up approximately 61.1% of all visitors.
Visitors from Hong Kong numbered 550,000, an 18.6% increase. Tourists from the Americas totaled 1.62 million, a 12.0% rise compared to the previous year, while European visitors reached 1.19 million, up 20.0%.
In September alone, 2.06 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, a 21.1% increase from the same month last year. Monthly visitor numbers have exceeded 2 million for three consecutive months, following 2.09 million in July and 2.25 million in August.
Foreign tourists' card spending has also seen significant growth. By the end of September, credit card expenditures in the tourism sector reached 15.94 trillion won, an increase of 5.15 trillion won compared to 10.79 trillion won during the same period last year. The growth rate of 47.7% far exceeds the visitor increase rate of 21.5%. This statistic includes online spending as well.
The increase in arrivals through regional airports has been notable. Inbound travelers through airports outside the capital region, such as Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju, and Daegu, totaled 3.24 million, a 37.4% increase from the same period last year, accounting for 19.0% of all visitors.
In contrast, inbound travelers through airports in the capital region numbered 11.79 million, a 17.3% increase. The growth rate for regional airports was 20.1 percentage points higher than that of capital region airports.
Arrivals through ports have also increased. Inbound travelers through non-capital region ports, including Busan, Jeju, Seogwipo, Yeosu, and Gunsan, reached 1.58 million, a 14.5% increase. Inbound travelers through capital region ports totaled 500,000, a 70.4% rise.
Travelers arriving through regional airports and ports accounted for a total of 4.82 million, representing 28.2% of all visitors.
Kang Jeong-won, head of the Tourism Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Efforts to enhance awareness of inbound tourism, improve travel environments, and expand content are yielding results. We will soon share detailed achievements for this year and introduce policy directions for next year."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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