Foreign arrivals top 17 million, card spending jumps 48% as South Korea eyes tourism record

About 17.11 million foreign tourists visited South Korea through September, a 21.5 percent increase from the same period last year. At the current pace, the country is expected to surpass last year's full-year total of about 18.94 million visitors sometime this month. Foreign tourists' card spending on travel in South Korea reached 15.94 trillion won ($12 billion) through September, jumping 47.7 percent from a year earlier.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday that about 2.06 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in September alone, up 21.1 percent from the same month last year. With the cumulative total through September reaching about 17.11 million — compared with about 14.08 million over the same period last year — the ministry expects this month's arrivals to push the annual figure past last year's full-year count of about 18.94 million.

The growth in inbound tourism has translated into higher visitor spending and broader regional entry. Foreign tourists' card spending on travel through September totaled 15.94 trillion won, up 47.7 percent from 10.79 trillion won over the same period last year.

Arrivals through non-metropolitan airports — including those in Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu — reached about 3.24 million through September, accounting for 19.0 percent of all inbound visitors and rising 37.4 percent from a year earlier. Arrivals through non-metropolitan seaports, including those in Busan, Jeju, Seogwipo, Yeosu and Gunsan, totaled about 1.58 million, or 9.2 percent of the total, up 14.5 percent year on year.

By source market, China led all countries with about 5.47 million visitors through September, up 29.2 percent from the same period last year and accounting for the largest share of inbound tourists. Taiwan recorded about 1.86 million visitors, a 32.4 percent increase, while Japan posted about 3.12 million, up 16.9 percent. Hong Kong recorded about 550,000 visitors, an 18.6 percent gain. Europe contributed about 1.19 million visitors, up 20.0 percent, and the Americas about 1.62 million, up 12.0 percent. Visitors from other countries totaled about 3.29 million, a 14.9 percent increase.

Breaking down arrivals by entry point, about 11.79 million visitors entered through Greater Seoul-area airports, up 17.3 percent from a year earlier. Arrivals through Greater Seoul-area seaports jumped 70.4 percent to about 500,000. Regional airports handled about 3.24 million arrivals, up 37.4 percent, while regional seaports recorded about 1.58 million, up 14.5 percent.

Kang Jeong-won, director general of tourism policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the results reflect sustained efforts across multiple fronts. "Our work to raise awareness of South Korea as a destination, improve the travel environment and expand tourism content is bearing fruit," Kang said, adding that the ministry plans to hold a press briefing soon to share a detailed account of this year's achievements and outline its policy direction for next year.