64.56 Million Tourists Visited Jeonnam Last Year... Shift Toward Extended-Stay Tourism

Average Stay Exceeds 24 Hours: Jeonnam Emerges as a Comprehensive Destination
Accessibility Improvements and Vision for 100 Million Tourists by 2030

Jeonnam Province announced on February 2 that the total number of tourists visiting Jeonnam in 2025 reached 64.56 million, an increase of 1% (650,000 people) compared to the previous year. Although the growth rate itself was not significant, the simultaneous structural improvements—such as changes in tourism patterns and increased length of stay—were analyzed as signs that Jeonnam tourism is transitioning to a stage of qualitative growth.

Looking at the specific types of tourism, there was a clear shift from short-term, sightseeing-focused visits to experience-based and extended-stay tourism. Regions that combined festivals with camping, emotional healing, and gourmet content saw an increase in visitors, while areas dependent on climate-sensitive, single festivals or lacking diverse content experienced a decline.

The average length of stay for visitors to Jeonnam was 24 hours and 7 minutes, more than seven hours longer than the national average of 17 hours and 1 minute. This was evaluated as an indicator that Jeonnam is establishing itself as a comprehensive destination where visitors accumulate experiences through overnight stays, rather than as a place for brief stopovers.

However, limitations in public transportation accessibility emerged as a challenge. The lack of connectivity between KTX and major tourist attractions, as well as inconveniences in traveling to island and coastal areas, were analyzed as constraints on attracting individual travelers. In addition, strategies focused on price discounts were effective in attracting first-time visitors but had limitations in encouraging repeat visits, and some regions saw a decrease in tourists as a result.

Other issues identified as needing improvement included the seasonal concentration of tourists in May and October, weakened tourism brand competitiveness due to content duplication and facility-oriented development, and the aging and shortage of tourism service workers.

Based on this analysis, Jeonnam Province set a mid- to long-term vision of achieving an average annual growth rate of 10% from 2026 onwards, targeting 71.02 million tourists in 2026 and 100 million tourists by 2030.

To achieve this, the province plans to establish an integrated stay-type tourism brand for Gwangju and Jeonnam, and to link southern region-wide tourism development and the expansion of social overhead capital (SOC)—such as the Mokpo-Boseong railway—with tourism products. In addition, the province will operate the "Year of Visiting Jeonnam Islands" in connection with the Yeosu World Island Expo and encourage repeat visits and spending through regional currency refund-based half-price travel programs, as well as expand long-term stays among young people through workation marketing.

Specialized tourism products to address the off-season, such as pet travel, park golf packages, reminder wedding trips, and the Namdo Marine Tourism Train, will be operated. The province will also promote smart tourism by advancing the AI and big data-based tourism platform "JN Tour," providing one-stop support for transportation, accommodation, and consumption.

Furthermore, Jeonnam plans to strengthen the competitiveness of marine and island tourism and ensure the successful hosting of the Yeosu World Island Expo by extending visa-free entry in preparation for the reopening of Muan International Airport and expanding the attraction of international cruise ships.

Oh Mikyung, Director of Tourism at Jeonnam Province, said, "By improving accessibility and enhancing content, we will strengthen Jeonnam's unique tourism competitiveness and build a sustainable tourism foundation to make the era of 100 million tourists a reality."