[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] Amid a slowdown in the global tourism market, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea is expected to increase by more than 20%, setting a new record high. Even as outbound travel demand from major countries such as the United States and Japan has stagnated or declined, tourism demand for South Korea continues to grow at a double-digit rate. Changes are also emerging in the Northeast Asian tourism market, with the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea now surpassing those visiting Japan.
According to the “International Tourism Market Outlook 2026, Issue No. 3,” released by the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute on the 29th, the annual number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year is projected to reach 22,904,000, a 20.9% increase from the previous year. From January through August, the number of foreign visitors to South Korea rose 21.6% year-over-year to 15,048,000, marking a 31.2% increase compared to the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. In July (2.093 million) and August (2.245 million), monthly records were broken for two consecutive months.

South Korea’s growth is even more striking when compared to the global tourism market. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of international tourists worldwide in the first half of this year totaled 690 million, representing only a 0.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Due to factors such as conflicts in the Middle East and rising travel costs, the annual growth forecast for international tourists has also been revised downward from the previous 3–4% to 1–2%. In contrast, South Korea’s growth rate for inbound tourists during the same period was 21%, significantly exceeding the global average.
By country, the rebound in the Chinese market was particularly notable. From January through August of this year, 4,816,000 Chinese tourists visited South Korea, a 29.0% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same period, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan remained at only 60.3% of the number visiting South Korea. This stands in contrast to last year, when the annual number of Chinese visitors to Japan was 1.7 times that of Chinese visitors to South Korea. This is believed to be influenced by policy and diplomatic factors, such as the Chinese government’s recommendation to refrain from traveling to Japan and the South Korean government’s extension of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists.
In both Japan and the United States, there was a clear divergence between overall overseas travel demand and demand for travel to South Korea. From January to August of this year, the total number of Japanese travelers going abroad increased by only 2.8% compared to the same period last year, and the trend turned downward in July and August. In contrast, the number of Japanese visitors to South Korea during the same period rose by 17.5% to 2,699,000.

In the United States, while total outbound travel by air decreased by 1.5%, the number of Americans visiting South Korea rose by 10.8% to 1.08 million. The proportion of Americans traveling to South Korea among all U.S. outbound travelers also increased from 1.62% in 2024 to 2.02% this year. This means that even as overall demand for overseas travel has slowed, the proportion of travelers choosing South Korea as a destination has actually grown.
In the Taiwan and Southeast Asian markets, trends varied by country. From January through August, the number of Taiwanese visitors to South Korea reached 1,656,000, a 32.2% increase compared to the same period last year, approaching twice the 2019 figure. The number of visitors from six major Southeast Asian countries also rose by 14.6% to 1,836,000. However, in contrast to the strong performance of Singapore and Indonesia, Thailand (-36.9%) and Malaysia (-9.3%) saw declines. Analysts attribute this to differences in entry requirements by country—such as the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA)—which influenced the pace of recovery.
To reach the annual forecast of 22,904,000 visitors presented by the research institute, South Korea must attract an additional 7,856,000 foreign tourists over the four months from September to December—an average of 1,964,000 per month. Key variables include exchange rates, airfare, and visa policies. If the won continues to strengthen, the cost of travel to South Korea for foreign tourists could rise.
Rising fuel surcharges due to higher international oil prices are another burden. The fuel surcharge for international flights rose from Level 14 in August to Level 23 in October. Whether the visa-free entry program for Chinese group tourists—scheduled to end on December 31—will be extended further is also considered a key factor that will determine future growth in the Chinese market.