Foreign visitors walk on the streets of Myeong-dong in central Seoul on May 13. [NEWS1]
More than 2 million foreign tourists visited Korea last month, bringing their cumulative number this year to a high of 6.8 million, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday.
Korea has now recorded more than 2 million monthly foreign visitors for two consecutive months.
Compared with 1.7 million foreign tourists recorded in April last year, the figure for last month jumped nearly 19 percent. The cumulative arrivals in the January to April period this year rose by 21 percent compared to the previous year, when the country logged 5.6 million arrivals.
By nationality, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share with 574,283 visitors, followed by 304,053 from Japan, 192,854 from Taiwan and 70,802 from Hong Kong. Long-haul travelers from Europe and the Americas recorded 182,887 and 236,370, respectively.
“Despite a recent surge in oil prices and subsequent hike in jet fuel charges, the Iran war had little impact on the number of arrivals of foreign travelers who were on trips that had been booked ahead of [the war],” the Tourism Ministry said in its press release.
“The global spread of ‘K-culture’ has driven Korea’s emergence as a destination for global tourists."
A group of foreign tourists takes a photo at Haeundae Beach in Busan on May 13. [YONHAP]
The ministry also noted that a growing number of inbound foreign tourists appear to be traveling to regional areas, going beyond Seoul-centered itineraries.
In April, 355,376 foreign tourists entered Korea via regional airports outside the greater Seoul area. The figure grew by 37.5 percent compared to the previous year’s same month.
Capitalizing on the moment, the ministry aims to bolster regional tourism by adding more direct flights between regional airports and international destinations. It also plans to expand domestic transfer flights connecting the nation’s main gateway, Incheon International Airport and the regional airports.
Monthly spending by inbound travelers also reached a record high.
Foreign visitors are estimated to have spent 1.9 trillion won ($1.3 billion) through card payments during their travels in the country, according to the ministry. The figure was the highest since tracking began in January 2018.
“It is a valuable achievement driven by pan-governmental support for the tourism sector and global popularity of K-culture,” said Kang Jung-won, the chief of the tourism policy office at the ministry.
“The ministry will help turn achievements into qualitative growth by increasing repeat visits for regional tourism and expanding tourists’ spending."
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