Foreign visitors spend W14tr in Korea through August as arrivals top 15 million

August tally sets all-time monthly record

Taiwan, Southeast Asia drive growth

Korea outpaces Japan, Thailand with 21% surge

Visa relaxations lower barriers for Southeast Asian travelers

Foreign tourists pose for photos with character mascots. [Yonhap]

The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea through August surpassed 15 million — two months ahead of last year's pace. Card spending by foreign visitors in the tourism sector also hit a record high of 14 trillion won ($10.3 billion) over the same period, underscoring the growing role of inbound tourism in the domestic economy.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday that cumulative foreign arrivals through August reached 15.05 million, up 21.6 percent from 12.38 million in the same period last year. August alone drew 2.25 million visitors, a 23.3 percent year-on-year increase. Both the monthly and cumulative figures are the highest since records began. The 15-million milestone was also reached earlier than last year, when it was not crossed until mid-October.

Visitor spending is rising and entry routes are diversifying. Foreign tourists' card spending in the tourism sector reached 14.02 trillion won through August, up 48.5 percent from 9.44 trillion won in the same period last year — another all-time high. The share of visitors entering through regional airports and seaports also hit a year-high of 27.8 percent through August, reflecting the continued spread of inbound tourism beyond the greater Seoul area.

Inbound tourism grew across all source markets through August, including China and the broader Chinese-speaking world, Japan, Western countries and Oceania, and Asia and the Middle East. Taiwan posted especially strong gains.

Southeast Asian markets also expanded. The Philippines sent 454,000 visitors, up 16.1 percent year on year; Vietnam, 407,000, up 10.5 percent; Indonesia, 295,000, up 22.5 percent; Singapore, 243,000, up 11.9 percent; Thailand, 230,000, up 14.9 percent; and Malaysia, 207,000, up 12.6 percent. Indonesia recorded the highest growth rate among Southeast Asian countries.

Korea's performance outpaced rival destinations in the region. Through August, arrivals to Japan fell 2.7 percent and arrivals to Thailand dropped 3.1 percent from the same period last year, while Vietnam managed only 14.4 percent growth — compared with Korea's 21.6 percent increase.

Foreign tourists make memories in Myeong-dong. [Yonhap]

The Culture Ministry worked with the Ministry of Justice and airlines to ease entry barriers that had long deterred Southeast Asian visitors. In cooperation with the Justice Ministry, the government relaxed multiple-entry visa requirements for 11 Southeast Asian countries — including the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia — effective March 30. Since May 28, it has also been running a pilot program allowing Indonesian group tourists to enter without a visa.

The Korea Tourism Organization also publicized the eased visa policies through local promotional events and social media. Operating through its overseas offices, the organization ran a visa support center in New Delhi to shorten processing times at the Korean embassy there, and simplified screening documents at the Korean embassy in Manila. Applicants who are premium customers of major local credit card companies were also exempted from some financial-proof requirements, such as bank balance certificates, transaction records and income tax returns.

Gyeongbokgung at night. [Korea Tourism Organization]

The ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization focused on converting local enthusiasm for Korean culture into actual travel demand, partnering with local content creators and social media platforms. A K-tourism road show themed around "everyday life in Korea," held in central Singapore, drew 120,000 visitors over three days, and large-scale events were also held in Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. Local content creators with more than 1 million subscribers, as well as Korea-focused promotional groups, were enlisted to produce marketing content and drive social media traffic.

To offset the added burden of higher fuel surcharges since March, the organizations partnered with airlines and online travel agencies to support airfare promotions. Markets where flight capacity to Korea increased, such as Indonesia, also saw corresponding growth in arrivals. One-way flights between Indonesia and Korea rose 8.8 percent, from 3,651 in January through August last year to 3,974 over the same period this year.

Kang Jeong-won, director general for tourism policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the visitor base is diversifying thanks to improved entry convenience and targeted marketing. "October's 'Travel Month' is also the peak period for foreign arrivals, so the ministry will carefully manage entry procedures — including visa issuance and airport and seaport processing — and continue to strengthen K-culture-linked marketing to sustain strong inbound momentum through the fourth quarter," Kang said.

terry@heraldcorp.com