South Korea Foreign Visitors Top 17 Million

Foreign tourists visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace (provided by Yonhap News Agency)  The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea through September this year has surpassed 17 million. The figure is close to the total number of visitors recorded for all of last year, making it virtually certain that the previous annual record will be exceeded within this month. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s “Tourism Trends for Visits to Korea in September 2026,” released on Oct. 22, the cumulative number of inbound visitors from January through September this year reached 17.11 million. That was up 21.5% from 14.08 million in the same period last year. It has already reached 90.3% of last year’s annual total of 18.94 million visitors. The number of foreign nationals who visited South Korea in September alone was 2.06 million, up 21.1% from the same month a year earlier. In particular, monthly inbound visitors exceeded 2 million on five occasions this year — in March, April, July, August, and September — showing a steady inflow. By country, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share at 5.47 million. That marked a 29.2% increase from the same period last year. They were followed by Japan with 3.12 million, Taiwan with 1.86 million, and Hong Kong with 550,000. Beyond Asia, the number of visitors from the Americas rose 12.0% to 1.62 million, while visitors from Europe increased 20.0% to 1.19 million, indicating that demand for travel to South Korea is expanding globally. Not only did visitor numbers rise, but the amount tourists spent in South Korea also increased sharply. Foreign card spending in the tourism sector from January through September this year totaled 15 trillion 94.16 billion won ($11.04 billion), a 47.7% surge from 10 trillion 79.40 billion won ($7.47 billion) in the same period last year. That far outpaced the 21.5% growth rate in inbound visitor numbers, suggesting that individual spending by tourists also expanded significantly alongside the increase in arrivals. Entries through regional airports and ports, a key indicator of the revitalization of local tourism, also increased briskly. Through September this year, 3.24 million foreign nationals entered South Korea via regional airports including Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju, and Daegu, up 37.4% from the same period last year. The number of arrivals through regional ports including Busan, Jeju, Seogwipo, Yeosu, and Gunsan also rose 14.5% to 1.58 million. Combined, entries through regional airports and ports accounted for 28.2% of all inbound visitors. Kang Jeong-won, Director General for Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, assessed that multifaceted efforts such as raising awareness of travel to South Korea, improving the travel environment, and expanding content offerings are producing results. The ministry plans to hold a press briefing soon to share this year’s achievements in detail and introduce its policy direction for next year.