Damyang in South Jeolla Province ranked among the regions with the highest share of out-of-town dining payments, with visitors accounting for nearly 80 percent of transactions, according to Samsung Card Data Lab. The photo shows the Damyang Bamboo Festival held in South Jeolla Province in May. [Herald DB]
Damyang in South Jeolla Province ranked among the regions with the highest share of out-of-town dining payments, with visitors accounting for nearly 80 percent of transactions, according to Samsung Card Data Lab. The photo shows the Damyang Bamboo Festival held in South Jeolla Province in May. [Herald DB]

An analysis of dining spending at major domestic tourist destinations ahead of the summer vacation season found that out-of-town visitors account for an overwhelming share of restaurant payments in Damyang-gun in South Jeolla Province, Dong-gu in Daegu, and Danyang-gun and Taean-gun in North Chungcheong Province. The findings suggest that the dining economies of these areas effectively depend on demand from outside visitors.

According to Samsung Card Data Lab's research note "Neighborhood Consumption Lifestyle by Index, Part 2: Dining," released Friday, Damyang-gun recorded the highest share of out-of-town dining payments at 86.4 percent. Dong-gu in Daegu came second at 79.8 percent, followed by Danyang-gun at 79.5 percent and Taean-gun at 74.0 percent — all four topping the 70 percent mark. The report drew on offline dining transaction data from April 2026, breaking down the dining sector into more than 200 subcategories to compare which types of restaurants see the most spending by region.

A high share of out-of-town visitors signals more than just foot traffic — it indicates that a local dining economy leans heavily on tourism demand. In practice, even areas widely regarded as tourist destinations varied considerably. Chuncheon in Gangwon Province posted an outsider share of just 34.7 percent, Yeosu in South Jeolla Province 38.6 percent, and Wansan-gu in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, 42.4 percent — meaning residents actually accounted for the majority of dining payments in those cities, despite their popular tourist images. These are places that, outside peak periods, function primarily as everyday dining districts for locals.

Damyang-gun recorded the highest share of out-of-town dining payments among all regions analyzed. By age group, visitors in their 50s accounted for the largest slice at 28.5 percent, followed by those 60 and older (27.7 percent), those in their 40s (23.8 percent), those in their 30s (15.9 percent) and those in their 20s or younger (4.2 percent). Visitors aged 50 and above together made up 56.2 percent — more than half. With the combined share of visitors in their 20s and 30s at just 20.1 percent, Damyang emerges as a destination where middle-aged and older visitors drive dining spending rather than younger crowds.

Grilled meat topped the list of dining categories at 30.1 percent, followed by noodles (12.0 percent), gukbap (9.7 percent), duck dishes (6.6 percent) and Chinese food (4.4 percent). The top category's share was more than double that of the second, pointing to a market heavily concentrated in a single type of food. Preferences diverged sharply by generation: noodles ranked first among visitors in their 20s or younger, while duck dishes topped the list for those 60 and older. The data suggest that younger visitors head to Damyang's noodle streets while older visitors gravitate toward duck restaurants.

Dong-gu recorded an out-of-town dining payment share of 79.8 percent, the second highest. By age group, those in their 40s led at 26.7 percent, followed by those in their 50s (25.4 percent), those in their 30s (22.8 percent), those 60 and older (17.6 percent) and those in their 20s or younger (7.5 percent). The combined share of visitors in their 20s and 30s stood at 30.3 percent — more than 10 percentage points higher than Damyang's 20.1 percent — indicating that Dong-gu draws a notably younger tourist crowd.

The top dining categories were grilled meat (index: 7.3), drinking establishments with food (5.6), gopchang/daechang/makchang — grilled offal cuts (5.6), sushi (5.3) and braised short ribs (4.8). Grilled offal ranked second among visitors in their 20s or younger. A key distinction is that the top category's index of 7.3 is only about a quarter of Damyang's 30.1, meaning spending is spread relatively evenly across multiple categories rather than concentrated in one. This points to a stay-and-graze dining district — one where visitors linger through lunch, dinner and late-night meals — rather than a destination built around a single must-eat dish. The prominence of drinking establishments with food also reflects the character of a district with a lively nighttime economy.

In the Chungcheong region, Danyang-gun posted the highest outsider share at 79.5 percent. Those in their 40s led by age group at 29.6 percent, followed by those in their 50s (25.4 percent), those 60 and older (23.1 percent), those in their 30s (18.7 percent) and those in their 20s or younger (3.2 percent).

The top menu category was sundae and sundaeguk — blood sausage and blood sausage soup (index: 14.8), followed by chicken (9.8), grilled meat (9.7), fish stew and soup (9.1) and dakgangjeong, a sweet fried chicken dish (5.5). Fish stew and soup ranked second among visitors in their 20s or younger, while dakgangjeong placed fourth among those in their 30s. What stands out is that sundae and sundaeguk topped the outsider rankings — yet among Danyang residents, grilled meat led at 14.1, with sundae and sundaeguk ranking only fifth at 3.9. What is an ordinary meal for locals has become a must-try item for tourists.

Taean-gun also recorded an out-of-town dining payment share of 74 percent. Those in their 40s accounted for 29.0 percent, followed by those in their 50s (26.2 percent), those 60 and older (21.2 percent), those in their 30s (19.2 percent) and those in their 20s or younger (4.5 percent). As in Danyang, 40-somethings formed the largest age group, suggesting that family outings are a defining characteristic of both destinations.

Taean's signature dish was by far gejang — marinated raw crab — at 19.4 percent. Chinese food (12.2 percent), chicken (8.7 percent), kalguksu, sujebi and mandu — knife-cut noodles, hand-torn dough soup and dumplings (6.2 percent) — and set-menu Korean meals (5.9 percent) followed at a considerable distance. Chicken ranked first among visitors in their 20s or younger, while kalguksu, sujebi and mandu placed third among those 60 and older. Here too, residents and tourists diverged at the table: the top five dining categories for Taean locals were grilled meat, chicken, Chinese food, drinking establishments with food, and jokbal and bossam — pork trotters and boiled pork — with gejang absent from the list entirely. The data point to a structure in which the region's West Sea tidal flat resources flow almost entirely into tourist spending.

The data in this analysis are based on April payment records. For Taean, which borders the sea, and Danyang, which sits near mountain valleys, the composition of visitors and the relative popularity of dining categories may shift during the peak summer season of July and August.


won@heraldcorp.com