Foreign Tourists in Korea

Green Tea Fields

The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea last month reached 1.02 million, the first time it surpassed the 1 million mark. Tourism officials here forecast the total number of foreign tourists will reach 11 million for the whole year. They attribute the surge to an increase in family visitors to Korea compounded by the effects of marketing that surfs the Korean Wave.

Last year, a total of 9.79 million foreign tourists came to Korea. Japanese accounted for 33.6 percent (3.29 million), and Chinese 22.7 percent (2.22 million). Americans made up just 6.8 percent. But the number of Chinese visitors to Korea has surged and overtook the number of Japanese tourists by 20,000 to reach 320,000 in July.

Last year alone, 65.45 million Chinese traveled abroad, and that is expected to rise to 78.4 million this year. At this rate, the number of Chinese people traveling abroad is expected to rise to 100 million two years from now. This shows just how important it is to attract Chinese tourists. But last year, only 3.4 percent of all Chinese who traveled abroad chose Korea as their destination.

High-tech businesses such as Samsung Electronics could build exhibition halls displaying the latest gadgets for visitors and offering hands-on experience in order to boost interest in Korean-made products. The Yongsan electronics market could be turned into a digital theme park for Chinese tourists, just like Japan's largest electronics shopping mall, Akihabara became a magnet for Korean tourists in Tokyo in the past.

Spring in Seoul

Foreign tourists to France, the world's No. 1 travel destination, totaled 79.5 million last year, generating US$54.5 billion in revenues. The tourism industry is a cash cow.

Source Chosun Ilbo