More than 17 million foreign tourists have visited South Korea this year, narrowing the gap with last year's total of 18.94 million by 1.83 million. It is expected that this month's figures will surpass last year's total. If the current trend continues, reaching 20 million by the end of the year seems possible.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's report on 'September 2026 Tourism Trends,' 17.11 million foreign tourists visited South Korea from January to September, marking a 21.5% increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 14.08 million visitors.
In September alone, the number of visitors reached 2.06 million, a 21.1% increase from the same month last year. This marks the third consecutive month that arrivals exceeded 2 million, following 2.09 million in July and 2.25 million in August. The cumulative total for this year is just 2.89 million short of the 20 million mark.
By nationality, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest group at 5.47 million, a 29.2% increase from the same period last year. Japanese visitors numbered 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% of all foreign visitors.
Spending by foreign tourists in the tourism sector has also risen. As of September this year, credit card expenditures in tourism reached 15.94 trillion won, a 47.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
The number of arrivals through regional airports has also expanded. Visitors arriving at airports outside the capital, including Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju, and Daegu, totaled 3.24 million, a 37.4% increase from the previous year. When combined with the 1.58 million arriving through regional ports, 28.2% of all foreign visitors entered through these locations.
Kang Jeong-won, head of the Tourism Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Our efforts to enhance awareness of South Korea as a travel destination, improve travel conditions, and expand content are bearing fruit. We plan to share detailed results of this year's achievements and outline our policy direction for next year soon."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.