When 1 Japanese Person Comes to Korea, 3 Koreans Went to Japan

3.13 Million Korean Visitors to Japan, 860,000 Japanese Visitors to Korea
Yen Depreciation and Tourism Content Cited as Popular Factors
Japan Tourism Agency Calls Korea "Most Important Country"

The number of Korean tourists who visited Japan in the first half of this year was 3,129,000. The number of Japanese visitors to Korea was 862,000. This is about a threefold difference. With revenge travel and the weak yen effect overlapping after the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea has emerged as a major player in Japan's tourism industry.

According to data compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Japan Tourism Agency on the 31st, the number of Korean tourists visiting Japan in the first half of this year far exceeded three times the number of Japanese visitors to Korea.

The number of Koreans visiting Japan has recovered to 81.0% compared to the first half of 2019 (3,863,000), before COVID-19. On the other hand, the number of Japanese visitors to Korea (862,000) is only 52.1% of the first half of 2019 (1,654,000), showing a still sluggish state.

The number of Korean tourists visiting Japan in the first half of this year was more than three times the number of Japanese tourists visiting Korea.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Korean tourists have now become the largest customers of Japan's tourism industry. Koreans accounted for 29.2% of all visitors to Japan, ranking first among visiting countries. Although Japanese are also the largest group of tourists visiting Korea, their proportion is much lower at 19.5%.

The weak yen phenomenon is cited as a reason why Korean tourists frequently visit Japan. In the first quarter of last year, the won-yen exchange rate exceeded 1,000 won per 100 yen, but recently it has been around 910 won. Earlier this month, it even fell below 900 won.

Also, Japan has experienced deflation for more than a decade, with both nominal wages and inflation rates stagnating. As a result, prices in Japan are perceived as relatively cheaper compared to Korea and other countries.

Another strength is the abundance of unique regional tourist destinations. In addition to the capital Tokyo, famous tourist spots such as Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Okinawa are evenly distributed. This means there are sufficient reasons for tourists from other countries to visit Japan multiple times.

In fact, the Japan Tourism Agency also regards Korean demand as a key customer for its tourism industry. At the 'Korea-Japan Tourism Seminar' held at COEX in Seoul on the 25th, the Japan Tourism Agency emphasized, "We have selected 24 major overseas countries and are promoting campaigns in cooperation with each country's tourism departments, and Korea is the most important among them."

They added, "The number of Japanese schools wanting to go on school trips to Korea is also increasing," and "In this new era of tourism, Korea and Japan are the most important partners promoting bilateral exchanges."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.