Number of visitor arrivals in South Korea 2000-2023

In 2023, South Korea welcomed approximately 11 million inbound visitors. Visitor arrivals in South Korea have shown an overall growth since year 2000. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020 the number of visitors to South Korea initially fell by more than 85 percent, before falling by a further 62 percent in 2021. 2022 was the first year to experience positive growth in visitor arrivals since the beginning of the pandemic.

What draws tourists to South Korea?

The most common reason for tourists to travel to South Korea in 2022 was the food and shopping opportunities. A 2022 worldwide survey found that 49 percent of respondents considered Korean food to be very popular in their countries, with exports increasing in recent years. Korean fried chicken was the most popular Korean food abroad, even before Kimchi.

”Hallyu” as a reason for the popularity

"Hallyu", also known as the “Korean wave”, describes the South Korean popular culture, including music, TV shows, and movies, and is one of the main reasons for the worldwide rise of the popularity of South Korea as a travel destination. As K-pop as well as K-beauty products, are getting more recognition globally, the number of visitors grows. In 2018, the K-Pop Boyband BTS was given credit by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for boosting the tourism industry. BTS is currently considered one of the biggest musical acts in the world.