"Only Chinese Everywhere Again"...190,000 Chinese Tourists Flocking to Korea

Nine-Day Lunar New Year Holiday Boost
Chinese Tourism to Korea Continues to Grow
Ministry and Tourism Organization Combine Local Marketing with Domestic Hospitality

To coincide with the longest Lunar New Year holiday period ever in China, the government and tourism authorities have launched initiatives to attract Chinese tourists.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, it will promote a series of online and offline events during China’s Lunar New Year holiday period (from the 15th to the 23rd) to enhance the travel satisfaction of Chinese tourists visiting Korea.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, visits to Korea by Chinese tourists are continuing to increase this year, following last year’s trend. The number of Chinese tourists who visited Korea in January rose by more than 20% year-on-year, surpassing the average growth rate of 19.1% in 2025.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea during this Lunar New Year holiday is expected to reach up to 190,000, which would represent a 44% increase compared with the daily average during last year’s Lunar New Year period. If demand from tourists who come to Korea before the holiday to avoid peak congestion is included, the total number of visitors is expected to grow even further.

On the first day of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, Chinese group cruise tourists are arriving at the Incheon Port International Cruise Terminal in Yeonsu District, Incheon. Yonhap News

Chinese travel industry data indicate that demand for family trips to Korea has increased significantly. The head of the China Regional Center at the Korea Tourism Organization said, “In northern China, where the holiday overlaps with the winter school vacation, the number of family package tour bookings to Korea has increased by four to five times compared with a year earlier,” adding, “In the Shandong region, there is growing preference for two-city packages that include both Seoul and Busan, reflecting an ongoing move to upgrade group tour products.”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are also strengthening collaborative marketing with local platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs) to target individual Chinese tourists. In partnership with JD.com, China’s largest lifestyle platform, international OTA Trip.com, and mobile payment provider WeChat Pay, they are offering one-day tour products in Korea and discount coupons for domestic transportation. In Guangzhou, they are working with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to promote winter tourism products aimed at travelers seeking to experience snowy winter landscapes.

In Korea, the welcoming atmosphere will be maintained through various hospitality events. In Myeong-dong, the Korea Tourism Organization and Alipay will jointly operate a welcome event zone, while at Jeju International Airport a hospitality booth themed on the “Year of the Horse” will offer souvenirs to visitors. They will also carry out promotions for sustainable tourism, including the “Promise with Jeju” eco-friendly tourism campaign.

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official said, “Chinese travel to Korea is shifting away from a focus on shopping toward longer-stay and everyday-experience tourism,” adding, “We will continue to support programs that allow visitors to experience Korea’s lifestyle culture naturally, including K-beauty, K-gastronomy, and K-content.”