A nighttime view of Jinjuseong Fortress [South Gyeongsang Province]
A nighttime view of Jinjuseong Fortress [South Gyeongsang Province]

Tourists who visited South Gyeongsang Province showed the highest intention to return of any region in the country, according to a new national survey. The province posted top-tier scores in both visitor volume and satisfaction, a sign that its tourism sector has achieved growth in quantity and quality alike.

South Gyeongsang Province announced Thursday that it ranked first nationwide in tourist return-visit intent and second in overall satisfaction in the "2025 National Travel Survey," released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

The province scored 79.3 points in return-visit intent, edging out South Jeolla Province at 78.7 points and Jeju at 78.4 points to claim the top spot. The result marks a three-place climb from fourth nationwide in 2024, strengthening the province's standing as a competitive tourism destination.

Provincial officials credited close collaboration among the provincial government, its 18 cities and counties, the South Gyeongsang Tourism Foundation, and regional tourism councils. These bodies have linked local tourism resources — spanning ecology, marine environments, history, culture and food — and packaged them into products that allow visitors to explore neighboring areas in a single trip.

Distinctive, locally rooted content — including the Hapcheon Horror Festival — also contributed to higher satisfaction scores and return-visit intent. Tourism products that combine a region's unique assets with hands-on experiences and festivals have broadened the range of options available to visitors, officials said.

The province's overall satisfaction score reached 82.3 points, placing it second nationwide. It ranked first among all 17 cities and provinces in day-trip satisfaction. The result reflects South Gyeongsang's reputation as a destination that combines accessibility with strong tourism content, at a time when short-distance, same-day trips using weekends or brief holidays are becoming more common.

Quantitative indicators also remained among the best in the country. South Gyeongsang recorded 29.679 million domestic travel visits last year, placing third nationwide behind Gyeonggi Province at 61.667 million and Gangwon Province at 34.64 million.

The province has ranked third in domestic travel visits for three consecutive years since 2023, reflecting stable tourism demand. Its accommodation satisfaction score of 84.9 points placed second nationally, underscoring its competitiveness as a destination for overnight stays.

South Gyeongsang Province plans to refine tourism products linking signature attractions across its cities and counties and to expand offerings in food, nighttime and cultural-arts tourism. Improvements to transportation and a hospitality campaign are also in the works.

Kim Sang-won, director general of tourism development at South Gyeongsang Province, said the results confirmed the impact of tourism policies pursued jointly by the province and its cities and counties. "We will make South Gyeongsang a premier tourism destination in South Korea through transport innovation and an expansion of overnight-stay content," he said.


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