220,000 Tourists Visit Korea During Japan's Golden Week and China's Labor Day Holiday

Ministry Reports "40.7% Increase Year-on-Year"


Strengthening Tailored Strategies for Family Travel and Regional Tourism

During Japan's Golden Week and China's Labor Day holiday period, approximately 220,000 Japanese and Chinese tourists visited Korea.

Around 3,000 Chinese tourists are disembarking from the MSC Bellissima (170,000-ton class) that arrived at the Incheon Yeonsu-gu International Cruise Terminal.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on May 8 that, as a result of joint marketing efforts with the Korea Tourism Organization targeting Japan's Golden Week and China's Labor Day holiday, a provisional tally showed that 112,000 Japanese tourists and 108,000 Chinese tourists visited Korea.

This figure represents a 40.7% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of Japanese visitors rose by 52.9% year-on-year, while Chinese visitors increased by 29.9%. In the first quarter of this year, 940,000 Japanese tourists and 1.42 million Chinese tourists visited Korea, and this growth trend continued during the recent holiday period.

The Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization launched the "2026 Family-Friendly Korea" campaign, targeting families in the Japanese market. Working in partnership with airlines, they offered discounted fares and extra checked baggage benefits for families traveling with children, and introduced destinations well-suited for family travel.

For residents of the Kyushu region, the "Now Is the Time for Busan" campaign was conducted. Discounts were offered to passengers taking flights and ferries between Fukuoka and Busan, and cruise ship programs were also available at reduced rates. At Cheongju Airport, welcome events for Japanese tourists were held on May 2 and 3, including commemorative photo sessions and the distribution of souvenirs.

For the Greater China region, joint airline promotions are being carried out to attract demand from cities such as Hong Kong and Guangzhou to Gimhae, Daegu, and Jeju International Airports. The welcome booth at Gimhae International Airport provides information on tourist attractions in four southeastern cities—Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, and Changwon—and offers discount coupons to encourage local spending.

To attract more Japanese tourists, the Ministry plans to launch travel products featuring local festivals such as the Haman Nakhwa Fireworks Festival and the Andong Seonyu Julbulnori in smaller regional cities, and to actively recruit customers. For the Greater China market, the Ministry is promoting policies expanding the issuance of multiple-entry visas for Chinese tourists and is working to boost sales of Korea-bound travel packages through the Korea Visa Application Centers in China, local online travel agencies, and social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo.

Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "The achievements during this holiday period prove that our tourism industry has effectively communicated the unique appeal of Korean tourism," adding, "We will continue to implement customized marketing strategies based on market-specific demand and characteristics, and operate a weekly tourism situation room to maintain the momentum for inbound tourism throughout the year."

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