Foreign tourist arrivals in Gyeongju surge 18.3% on APEC boost

Foreign tourist arrivals in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, have risen sharply since the city hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year.

According to Gyeongju city officials, data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab showed that 569,357 foreign tourists visited Gyeongju from January through May this year, up 88,162, or 18.3 percent, from 481,195 during the same period last year.

City officials attributed the increase to a significant rise in Gyeongju's international profile following the APEC summit.

Visitors are also becoming more diverse in origin, arriving not only from East Asia but also from the United States, Southeast Asia and Russia.

In response, the city has launched a "Post-APEC Global Tourism Policy" aimed at drawing more international visitors.

Initiatives under the policy include developing APEC-themed tourism content, expanding multilingual services, participating in international tourism fairs, operating overseas familiarization tours and promoting extended-stay tourism programs.

"The APEC summit has elevated Gyeongju's standing on the world stage, and the upward trend in foreign tourist arrivals is continuing," Mayor Ju Nak-young said. "We will do our utmost to keep expanding our distinctive historical and cultural offerings and tourism infrastructure so that Gyeongju can grow into a global destination that draws visitors from around the world."