Inbound Visitors Surpass 2 Million for Second Consecutive Month... Record 6.77 Million in January–April

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Releases April Tourism Trends

Record 1.93 Trillion Won in Foreign Card Spending in April

Regional Airport Arrivals Surge by 38%

Last month, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea reached 2.03 million. The cumulative number of inbound visitors from January to April this year totaled 6.77 million, marking an all-time high, while foreign card spending also reached a record 1.9253 trillion won last month—the highest monthly amount ever recorded.

Foreign tourists visiting Jagalchi Market in Jung-gu, Busan, are browsing the market and selecting seafood. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On May 21, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in April was 2,027,860. This represents an 18.8% increase compared to 1,707,113 in the same month last year. After surpassing 2 million monthly visitors for the first time in March, the figure remained above 2 million for a second consecutive month.

The total number of inbound visitors from January to April this year was 6,771,000, a 21% increase from 5,580,000 during the same period last year. The monthly breakdown shows a continued upward trend: 1,266,000 in January, 1,431,000 in February, 2,046,000 in March, and 2,028,000 in April.

By country, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share, with 574,283 visitors, marking a 29.6% increase compared to the same month last year. Japanese tourists numbered 304,053, up 17.9%. Visitors from Taiwan totaled 192,854, a 27.2% increase, and those from Hong Kong stood at 70,802, up 9.6%. Visitors from the Americas totaled 236,370, an increase of 14.4%, and those from Europe reached 182,887, up 8.5%.

The increase in arrivals at regional airports was also notable. Last month, 355,376 foreign tourists entered through regional airports, a 37.5% increase compared to the same month last year. Arrivals at airports in the Seoul metropolitan area reached 1,424,125, up 17.1%. The Ministry plans to further disperse inbound tourists across regions by expanding international routes at regional airports and supporting transfer flights between Incheon and regional airports.

Spending by foreign tourists within Korea also increased. Last month, foreign credit card spending, including online purchases, amounted to 1.9253 trillion won. This represents a 19.8% increase from the same month last year and is the highest monthly figure since statistics began in January 2018. The cumulative card spending from January to April this year was 6.0997 trillion won, a 22.6% increase from the same period last year.

Kang Jeongwon, policy chief at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Despite challenging conditions such as rising international oil prices and fuel surcharges, surpassing 2 million foreign visitors to Korea for two consecutive months is the result of the appeal of 'K-Culture' and the synergistic effect of government-wide support for tourism." He added, "We will strive to ensure that the expansion of the inbound tourism market leads to qualitative growth, such as increased regional visits and spending, rather than merely quantitative growth."

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