The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Oct. 27 said the number of foreign tourists this year set a record-high 18.94 million the same day, breaking the mark set last year with about two months remaining in the year. Shown is a couple taking a selfie at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul’s Jongno-gu District. (Korea.net DB)
By Yoo Yeon Gyeong
The number of foreign tourists this year has broken an all-time high — and 2026 still has two months to go.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Oct. 27 said the figure that day broke the previous record set last year of 18.94 million, a milestone reached with two months left this year.
By market, the Greater China region — China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan –accounted for the largest share with 46.3% from January to September, followed by Japan (18.2%), the Americas and Europe (17.9%), and Southeast Asia and the Middle East (17.1%).
Year-on-year growth rates were especially high for Taiwan (32.4%) and China (29.2%). Most other markets also saw double-digit rises like Japan (16.9%), Southeast Asia (15.3%), and the Americas and Europe (15.1%).
Over the period, credit card spending by foreign tourists reached KRW 15.9 trillion, a 47.7% jump. By sector, the shopping sector including department stores, large supermarkets and duty-free shops accounted for the largest portion at 37%, followed by accommodations (19.6%) and medicine and wellness (16.6%), which includes hospitals, pharmacies and cosmetics.
The ministry said such growth was led by factors such as the spread of Korean culture, increase in the number of flights and easing of visa requirements. Despite uncertainty such as foreign exchange fluctuations and high oil prices, it added, interagency cooperation, improved transportation accessibility and stronger overseas marketing helped bring the results.
The plan is to bolster collaboration between the central and local governments as well as the private sector through the National Tourism Strategy Meeting. The goal is to attract 30 million foreign tourists per year and prepare for the era of 40 million.
“Building on this growth momentum, we will focus our efforts not only on quantitative expansion but also qualitative consolidation,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young said. “We’ll do our best to firmly establish Korea as an ‘irreplaceable travel destination’ in the global tourism market.”
dusrud21@korea.kr
