"We Know Korea Has Good Transportation, But We'd Rather Travel to Japan"... The Secret Behind Japan's Appeal to Foreigners

Japan Ranked No. 1 Preferred Destination in Asia-Pacific, US, and Australia
"Regional Tourism Content Is a Key Factor in Attracting Travelers"

The rate of overseas travelers hoping to visit Korea has been found to be lower than that of those wishing to visit Japan. Travelers from the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, and Australia ranked Japan as their number one preferred destination, while Korea only came in eighth place.

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 Departure Hall. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Cho Yongjun

According to the results of the "2025 Travel Pulse" survey conducted by Klook, a platform for booking accommodations, transportation, and activities, on 7,000 travelers from 14 countries worldwide who are planning trips this year, the average proportion of East and Southeast Asian travelers wishing to visit Korea was about 9%.

Indonesia had the highest proportion of respondents expressing interest in visiting Korea, at 15.4%, followed by Vietnam at 13.5% and the Philippines at 13.0%. In contrast, countries such as Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand all recorded response rates of less than 10%. Among travelers from the United States and Australia, the proportion wishing to visit Korea was in the 1% range, the lowest among all surveyed countries.

In particular, among MZ generation respondents from East and Southeast Asia, only 4.2% expressed an intention to visit Korea. This is just one-third of the proportion expressing interest in visiting Japan.

Even when the region was expanded, Japan remained more popular. Travelers from the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, and Australia chose Japan as their top travel destination, followed by mainland China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, India, and Thailand. Korea ranked eighth.

The popularity of travel to Japan was attributed to the appeal of regional destinations outside the capital. According to the survey, more than 50% of travelers to Japan expressed a desire to visit areas outside the capital. Klook noted, "The development and promotion of regional tourism content is a key factor in attracting inbound travelers."

The main criteria for choosing a travel destination were cited as "national safety," "travel budget," and "ease of transportation." Klook pointed out, "Although Korea has transportation infrastructure such as high-speed trains, foreign visitors face inconveniences due to payment systems and identity verification procedures that are centered on locals." The company also added, "High-speed train tickets often sell out quickly, so it is necessary to improve accessibility for on-site purchases and reservations through global platforms."

Lee Junho, head of Klook Korea, stated, "Korea has limitless potential for development based on its diverse tourism content across the country," and added, "If foreigners can more easily use high-speed trains and other transportation, Korea could become an even more attractive travel destination."