"Bulgogi and Kimchi? No..."... 'K-Food' Captivates Foreign Tourists

CreateTrip Analyzes Last Year's Dining Menu Transaction Data
Chicken Tops in Number of Transactions, Soy Sauce Marinated Crab Leads in Transaction Amount
Chinese Tourists Prefer Soy Sauce Marinated Crab, Grilled Meat, and Snacks
Japanese Tourists Favor Korean Traditional Meals, Western Tourists Prefer Bingsu

As K-content such as movies, dramas, and music gain popularity in overseas markets, interest in Korean culture, including food, is also increasing. Reflecting this trend, K-food preferred by foreign tourists visiting Korea has expanded beyond traditional dishes like bulgogi, galbi, and kimchi to include menus frequently enjoyed by Koreans, occupying top ranks.

On the 25th, CreateTrip, a global K-tourism inbound platform, analyzed dining menu transaction data from foreign tourists who visited Korea last year. Regardless of nationality, the most popular dining menu among foreigners was "chicken," ranking first in the number of transactions. CreateTrip explained, "Even without fluent Korean, foreigners can order chicken through online delivery, and many visited offline stores like 'Kyochon Pilbang,' operated by Kyochon Chicken, where foreigners can enjoy chicken in new ways."

Among the K-foods preferred by foreign tourists visiting Korea last year, chicken (from the left), soy sauce marinated crab, and bunsik ranked high.
[Photo provided by Creatrip]

The second most sought-after dining menu by foreigners was "ganjang gejang" (soy sauce marinated crab). This accounted for about 87% of transactions and about 89% of transaction amounts among travelers from Greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong. A Taiwanese traveler commented, "In hot climates, dishes that safely prepare raw seafood are rare," and added, "The taste of ganjang gejang is not too sweet or salty, so it suits my palate well."

Greater China tourists also preferred not only ganjang gejang but also "grilled meat" and "bunsik" (Korean snack foods). Among all grilled meat specialty store transactions on CreateTrip, about 77% of the transaction count and about 83% of the transaction amount were from Greater China tourists. Bunsik accounted for about 60% of total demand. Japanese tourists showed high demand for neat and tidy "hanjeongsik" (traditional Korean set meals), making up about 80% of total hanjeongsik transaction counts and amounts. Demand for "dessert" stores, which reinterpret traditional yakgwa (Korean honey cookies) in a modern style, also accounted for about 57% of total transaction volume. Additionally, Western and Singaporean tourists visiting Korea were found to prefer "bingsu" (shaved ice dessert) following chicken and bunsik.

An industry insider explained, "Foreign tourists tend to prefer itineraries where they can experience Korean culture in ways similar to locals, visiting popular 'matjip' (restaurants) or cafes frequently visited by Koreans, as well as 'photo spots,' because they are familiar with and interested in Korean culture."

In fact, an analysis of domestic travel destination search data by the digital travel platform Agoda, based on searches by domestic and international tourists last year, showed that the regions with the highest increase in search volume compared to the previous year were Daejeon, Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, Daegu, and Incheon, in that order. Daejeon’s popularity was attributed to its charming cafes and the famous local bakery "Seongsimdang," Jeongseon was noted for wellness resorts suitable for healing trips, Daegu attracted attention with various festivals including the "Chimaek (chicken + beer) Festival," and Incheon was recognized for its sunrise and sunset viewing spots.

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