'Year of Visiting Gangwon' Sees Major Autumn Success... October Tourist Numbers Up 22.2% Year-on-Year

Province and Gangwon Tourism Foundation Analyze Tourism Trends
October Visitors Surpass 15.92 Million
Inje County Achieves Explosive 113% Growth
A Remarkable 42.2% Increase from Previous Month

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) and the Gangwon Tourism Foundation (CEO Choi Seong-hyun) announced on December 3 that, based on big data analysis of Gangwon tourism trends, approximately 15.92 million tourists visited Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province in October, representing a 22.2% increase compared to the same month last year and a 42.2% increase compared to the previous month.

Gangwon Province October Tourism Trend Analysis. Provided by Gangwon Tourism Foundation

The number of foreign tourists was 313,881, a 6.1% increase compared to the same month last year (295,920). By country, the largest numbers of foreign tourists came from China (55,871), the Philippines (30,760), Japan (25,424), the United States (24,169), and Indonesia (20,402), in that order.

In October, all 18 cities and counties in the province saw an increase in tourist numbers compared to both the same month last year and the previous month, indicating a clear recovery in tourism. Among them, Inje County recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate in tourist numbers at 31.8%, followed by Taebaek City (31.3%), Donghae City (28.1%), Yeongwol County (24.0%), and Yanggu County (23.9%). Notably, Inje County also showed the highest month-on-month increase in tourist numbers at 113.0%, with the surge attributed to concentrated demand for autumn tourism.

Major tourist attractions in Cheorwon County and Jeongseon County, which were highlighted as “October Recommended Travel Destinations for the Year of Visiting Gangwon,” saw significant month-on-month increases in visitors: Eunhasu Bridge (107.91%), DMZ Eco-Peace Park (98.13%), Mindungsan Mountain (161.06%), and Gariwangsan Cable Car (86.69%).

Tourism consumption in October was approximately 157.7 billion won, a 5% decrease (about 8.3 billion won) compared to the same month last year, but a significant 19.4% increase (about 25.6 billion won) compared to the previous month.

By industry, the transportation sector saw a 45.7% increase compared to the same month last year, while all sectors-transportation, accommodation, food, and leisure-showed growth compared to the previous month.

Meanwhile, for non-resident tourist accommodations, both day trips and overnight stays of one, two, and three nights increased compared to both the previous month and the same month last year. Year-on-year, the detailed growth rates were: day trips (Inje County, 31.1%), one-night stays (Yanggu County, 45.1%), two-night stays (Taebaek City, 127.6%), and three-night stays (Taebaek City, 192.0%).

Choi Seong-hyun, CEO of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, stated, "In October, the extended holiday period made the recovery trend in Gangwon tourism even more pronounced. With the opening of ski resorts and the official start of the winter tourism season, we will actively take the lead in responding to and revitalizing demand for winter tourism."

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