10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting Held
"Beyond Seoul, we will create new inbound tourism zones that foreign tourists can clearly recognize, and in the long term, open up a market with 40 million international visitors and 100 trillion won in revenue."
Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced this long-term vision for the tourism industry at the 10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting held on the 25th at High Ground in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The National Tourism Strategy Meeting is a body chaired by the Prime Minister and composed of ministers from 13 government departments.
Last year, the number of international visitors to Korea was 16,369,629, with total spending reaching 33 trillion won. This year, the number of international visitors is expected to reach a record high of around 20 million.
The tourism industry targets explicitly stated by Minister Choi on this day are 30 million international visitors and 75 trillion won in total spending by 2030. However, Minister Choi also mentioned that even this target is not satisfactory, citing Japan's achievement of attracting 36 million international visitors last year. He emphasized, "We will achieve the 30 million target ahead of schedule and move toward an era of 40 million international visitors and 100 trillion won in total spending."
Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is reporting agenda items at the 10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting held on the 25th at High Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Minister Choi stressed that creating new tourism zones outside of Seoul is a core strategy for the growth of the tourism industry. He pointed out that over 80% of inbound international tourists visit the Seoul metropolitan area, while the proportion visiting regional areas is only 34%, which is hindering the development of the tourism industry.
Minister Choi said, "Japan has tourist destinations not only in Tokyo but also in Osaka, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. Similarly, in Vietnam, there are popular destinations like Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City besides the capital Hanoi." He emphasized, "We need to newly establish a couple of inbound tourism zones outside Seoul that foreign tourists can clearly recognize." He added, "Within this year, we plan to select two to three regional areas as candidates for inbound tourism zones. After working with the respective local governments for a year to implement policies to the best of our ability, we will select the one or two most promising areas for focused development."
Minister Choi also stated that measures to increase accommodation facilities are urgently needed. He explained, "The overcrowding in the metropolitan area is affecting inbound tourism, with Seoul already at full capacity for accommodations, while rooms in regional areas remain vacant." He stressed, "We need to increase available facilities in Seoul and implement comprehensive measures to encourage foreigners to travel to regional areas."
Minister Choi stated his commitment to increasing tourism spending in regions outside the metropolitan area from the current 30 trillion won to over 40 trillion won, ultimately opening an era of 50 trillion won in regional tourism spending. To achieve this, he emphasized support for domestic half-price travel and the expansion of accommodation discount vouchers to reduce travel costs.
Minister Choi also announced plans to revise outdated legal frameworks to better fit current realities, ensuring that effective policy support can be implemented.
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