[YARI Data Snapshot] Tourists Are Back. Duty-Free Sales Aren't

Monthly Duty-Free Sales to Foreign Visitors (USD Billion)

South Korea is welcoming more international visitors than ever, but its duty-free industry is telling a very different story.

📊 Monthly duty-free sales to foreign visitors peaked at around USD 1.7 billion in 2019. By September 2026, sales stood at approximately USD 550 million—less than one-third of that peak!

💡 Despite the recovery in inbound tourism, duty-free sales have remained far below pre-pandemic highs. More visitors don't necessarily mean more spending at duty-free stores.

🔎 Curious about the bigger picture?

Explore Yanolja Research Data Lab for more tourism statistics, monthly trends, and interactive dashboards tracking South Korea's tourism industry!

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