Foreign tourists flock to Sokcho as city's appeal grows

Foreign tourists have become a noticeably more common sight at Dongmyeong Port in Sokcho — and not just there. Visitors from abroad can easily be spotted along Sokcho Beach and Yeongrang Beach as well, reflecting the city's growing stature as a global destination.

"It is significant that foreign tourists are consistently visiting in greater numbers, and that their stays, accommodations and spending are all rising together," Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said. "We will carefully refine our tourism products and visitor conveniences so that tourists who come to Sokcho stay longer, enjoy the city's diverse attractions, and spend in ways that benefit local residents and merchants."

The number of foreign tourists visiting Sokcho rose 30.1 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

An analysis of Korea Tourism Organization data conducted by Sokcho City showed that foreign tourist arrivals grew 14.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, 29.6 percent in the second quarter and 30.1 percent in the third quarter. Growth was recorded in all three quarters and the rate accelerated each period, pointing to a consistently expanding foreign tourism demand.

Overall visitor numbers also climbed. Sokcho received 8,164,981 visitors in the third quarter, up 3.6 percent from the same period last year, moving up one spot to third place in the provincial visitor ranking. Cumulative visitors from January through September totaled 20,338,520.

Tourism spending grew alongside the visitor increase. Third-quarter tourism expenditure reached about 214.8 billion won ($160 million), up 12.1 percent year-on-year. The spending growth rate outpaced the 3.6 percent visitor growth rate, confirming that Sokcho's tourism gains are having an increasingly positive effect on local consumption.

Overnight stays also increased.

About 1.49 million visitors stayed overnight in the third quarter, up 4.2 percent from the same period last year, keeping Sokcho in second place in the provincial overnight-stay ranking. Visitor numbers rose across all stay lengths — one night, two nights and three or more nights.

Interest in major attractions remained strong. Sokcho Tourist and Fisheries Market topped the provincial navigation-search ranking in the third quarter, with Sokcho Beach placing sixth, Seorak Cable Car 13th and Daepo Port 26th. The presence of a traditional market, a beach, a mountain attraction and a port among the top results illustrated the breadth of Sokcho's tourism appeal.

Sokcho plans to expand tailored tourism products for independent travelers in step with the rise in foreign visitors. The city intends to enhance its tourism content so that foreign tourists can experience a wider range of local attractions and convert their visits into spending at local businesses.

Alongside this, the city plans to boost MICE — meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions — activities and develop work-and-leisure programs using accommodation facilities, with the aim of increasing weekday and off-season overnight demand. The broader goal is to translate rising visitor numbers into stable overnight stays and spread tourism spending more widely across the city.