According to the KTO's October inbound tourism statistics, approximately 15.82 million foreign visitors entered Korea during the first 10 months of this year, marking a 15.2 percent increase from the same period last year. With November and December figures yet to be finalized, the total is expected to surpass the pre-pandemic record of 17.5 million visitors set in 2019.
Despite the rapid recovery in inbound arrivals, concerns remain over the continued concentration of tourist visits and spending in the Seoul metropolitan area. More than 80 percent of foreign visitors currently travel to the capital region, while visits to non-metropolitan areas remain limited to around 20 percent, constraining the broader economic impact on regional tourism industries.
To address this imbalance, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to allocate roughly 3.5 trillion won ($237 million) of its 14.9 trillion won tourism budget for next year toward revitalizing regional tourism. The policy focus is shifting from a Seoul-centric model to longer-stay, region-based travel, with the government aiming to establish "regional inbound tourism hubs."
The program is designed to address the challenges faced by domestic tourism operators seeking to attract foreign visitors, particularly those with strong content but limited overseas exposure. Support includes connections to international distribution channels, familiarization tours, product listings on global online travel agencies (OTAs), and local networking through overseas offices — with an emphasis on converting visibility into sales and longer regional stays.
From August to September, the KTO also hosted a series of on-site inbound marketing briefings across six regions — Jeju, Gyeongsang, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla and the Seoul metropolitan area — drawing 463 participants from 307 organizations.
The sessions combined practical guidance, expert lectures and one-on-one consultations with KTO divisions and industry experts from Trip.com, Tripbtoz and Creatrip. Satisfaction surveys recorded an average score of 4.43 out of 5, with 89.2 percent positive responses.
Tangible outcomes followed. Wondertour launched new tour packages linked to the APEC summit in Gyeongju after consultations with global online travel agency KKday, while Jeju Special Self-Governing Province worked with KTO overseas offices to map out entry into European markets. Additional partnerships involving familiarization tours and OTAs are also underway.
Seo Se-jin, an official with the Tourism Policy Division of Jeju Province, said participation in a KTO-led familiarization tour targeting global luxury travel network members — featuring haenyeo (women divers) as a central theme — provided meaningful networking opportunities.
"Follow-up meetings were held with travel agencies from Italy and Switzerland that joined the tour, allowing us to discuss concrete plans for market entry," Seo said.
"By leveraging overseas offices and expanding global OTA partnerships, the KTO will continue to support the global promotion of Korea's tourism industry," said Kim Jong-hoon, acting director of the KTO's International Tourism Division.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
