[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] As the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year has grown at the fastest pace on record, the structural weaknesses of the tourism industry—overshadowed by this outward growth—are expected to come under scrutiny during the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee’s 2026 parliamentary audit. A rigorous examination is anticipated, focusing not merely on the number of visitors attracted, but on how long tourists stay in each region and how much they spend, as well as whether government budgets and investments in public enterprises are actually strengthening the industry’s competitiveness.
According to the National Assembly and the tourism industry, the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee will begin its audit of the tourism sector on the 7th, starting with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. On the 14th, the committee will conduct audits of the Korea Tourism Organization, Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), and the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute, concluding with a comprehensive audit on the 23rd. This year’s key issues include: ▲ the increase in visitors to Korea and improvements to the regional tourism sector; ▲ verification of the performance of the Korea Tourism Organization’s overseas branches; ▲ criteria for supporting global online travel agencies (OTAs); ▲ the cap on casino funds and the license renewal system; and ▲ GKL’s long-term lease business structure.

◇15.05 Million Visitors to Korea: Regional Stays and Spending Are Key
From January to August of this year, the number of foreign visitors to Korea reached 15,048,435, a 21.6% increase compared to the same period last year, marking an all-time high for that timeframe. Foreign tourist credit card spending also surged by 48.5% to 14.018 trillion won. The government plans to attract 23 million visitors this year and usher in an era of 30 million visitors by 2029.
However, during the National Assembly audit, lawmakers will closely examine whether this quantitative growth is more than just a temporary recovery and whether it is actually leading to the revitalization of regional economies. With the rate of foreign visitors to regional areas remaining at 34.5% in the first quarter and 34.2% in the second quarter of this year, critics argue that the government should manage the actual number of days spent in each region and the amount spent—beyond mere visits—as key performance indicators (KPIs) for its tourism policy.
◇ Overseas Branches Receiving 20 Billion Won Annually: Performance Metrics Under Scrutiny
During the National Assembly audit of the Korea Tourism Organization on the 14th, the efficiency of budget execution for 30 overseas offices across 21 countries will come under scrutiny. Last year, operating expenses for overseas offices rose 13.2% year-over-year to 20.1066 billion won, surpassing the 20 billion won mark for the first time. A total of 220 staff members, including 78 resident representatives, are currently working there.
The problem is that performance evaluation criteria vary by branch. Since metrics such as direct visitor numbers, travel agency support performance, and growth rates of visitors from specific regions are used interchangeably, it is difficult to objectively compare the effectiveness relative to the budget. Joint marketing initiatives (1,098,440,000 won this year) with global OTAs—such as Trip.com, which was found by the Fair Trade Commission to have violated the E-Commerce Act—are also subject to scrutiny to determine whether these companies’ track records on consumer protection and legal compliance are properly reflected in the government’s evaluation criteria for funding.
◇Controversy Over Casino Fund Cap… Review of GKL’s Long-Term Leases
In the industrial policy sector, the reform of casino levies is a contentious issue. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is pushing for an amendment to the Tourism Promotion Act to raise the statutory cap on the casino levy rate for the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund from the current 10% of total revenue to 15% and to establish new revenue brackets for large operators. The industry is pushing back, citing the double burden of revenue-based levies and corporate income tax, as well as the potential for a decline in investment if a five-year license renewal system is introduced, so a heated debate is expected.
The operating model of the state-owned enterprise Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) is also under scrutiny. To extend the lease agreement for its Gangnam COEX location, GKL decided to invest 168,795,070,000 won—equivalent to 38.2% of its equity—in new facilities, thereby securing a long-term lease to continue operations through 2035. Given the global competitive landscape centered on integrated resorts, the committee plans to scrutinize whether adhering to a long-term lease model without securing its own facilities was the best course of action in terms of the public enterprise’s asset value and capital efficiency.
A tourism industry official stated, “Given the significant increase in visitors to Korea this year, this year’s parliamentary audit is likely to focus less on how many people the government brought in and more on whether the rise in tourist numbers has actually translated into revenue for local communities and industries,” adding, “Ultimately, the key issue regarding casinos and state-owned enterprise facilities is whether the systems are designed to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry.”