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[Yanolja Research Brief] Vol.1 Korea Inbound Tourism from Jan to Apr 2024

Korea Welcomes a Surge in International Visitors: Key Highlights from Early 2024

Curious about the latest trends in Korea’s inbound tourism? Here’s a snapshot of what’s driving the excitement-and what’s changing-among international travelers this year.


Record-Breaking Visitor Growth

  • Nearly 4.9 million foreign tourists visited Korea between January and April 2024.
  • This marks an impressive 87% increase over the same period last year, reaching 89% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels.


Diverse Global Appeal

  • Visitors from Asia more than doubled compared to 2023, with countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and India even surpassing their 2019 numbers.
  • Tourists from the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Africa are also flocking to Korea in greater numbers than ever before.
  • Most major countries, except those affected by international conflicts, sent more visitors than in 2019.


How Travelers Are Arriving

  • 88% of international arrivals came by air, while 12% chose to arrive by sea.
  • Sea arrivals are on the rise, especially from China, thanks to the resumption of cruise travel.


Shifting Spending Patterns

  • Despite the surge in visitor numbers, average spending per tourist has dropped to $1,063-down from $1,286 in 2019 and $1,858 in 2023.
  • The decrease is linked to shorter stays and a higher proportion of leisure travelers compared to business visitors.


Shorter Stays, More Leisure

  • The average length of stay for foreign tourists fell to 6.5 days, nearly two days shorter than last year.
  • Notably, Chinese tourists now stay an average of 6.5 days, down from nearly 14 days in early 2023.
  • Leisure travel is up by 8.4%, while business travel has declined by 3.6%.


Want to see the full breakdown by country and discover more insights? Visit our official website for the complete analysis and the latest updates on Korea’s inbound tourism trends!

Yanolja Research Brief Vol.1

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Location: Seoul, Korea

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