South Korea has ascended to the second position in travel destination awareness and preference across the Asian region, signaling a significant shift in the competitive landscape of regional tourism. While Japan has consistently held the top spot for the past three years, the gap between the two nations is notably narrowing, according to recent surveys.
The "2024 Potential Visitors Survey," conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and released recently, reveals that South Korea's destination awareness reached 46.8%, securing the second rank. This marks a steady climb from 5th place in 2022 and 4th in 2023, showcasing a clear upward trend. Japan maintained its three-year consecutive lead with 52% awareness. However, the awareness gap between the two countries has more than halved, shrinking from 10.2 percentage points in 2022 to 5.2 percentage points in 2024.
In terms of travel preference, Japan continued its dominance, holding the 1st position for the third consecutive year with 69.6%. South Korea, however, is rapidly closing in, having risen from 5th to 3rd and now 2nd. The preference gap has also decreased, from 19.2 percentage points in 2022 to 12.8 percentage points. The survey, conducted between July and September last year, sampled 16,360 foreign nationals residing in 26 major inbound markets, including those with intentions to visit Korea within three years.
The likelihood of South Korea being chosen as a future travel destination has also steadily increased, while Japan has seen a decline in this metric. This trend has significantly reduced the gap between the two nations, from 16.9 percentage points in 2022 to a mere 1.6 percentage points in 2024, a reduction to roughly one-tenth of its previous size.
This surge in South Korea's awareness and preference has translated into a rise in foreign tourist arrivals. From January to April this year, 5.58 million foreign visitors arrived in South Korea, marking a 14.6% increase year-on-year and a 1.8% rise compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The South Korean government has set an ambitious target of attracting 18.5 million foreign tourists this year. For the full year 2024, South Korea welcomed approximately 16.37 million international visitors, recovering to 94% of the 2019 peak. While visitor numbers are rebounding, tourism revenue has seen a slower recovery, partly due to a decline in duty-free sales, which stood at $8.16 billion in 2024 compared to $17.84 billion in 2019. The depreciated Korean won in late 2024 also made South Korea a more attractive destination for international visitors, mirroring Japan's experience with the weak yen.
Despite these positive indicators, industry experts suggest that a direct comparison with Japan, particularly concerning visitor growth over the past decade, may be premature. In 2014, Japan hosted 13.41 million visitors, while Korea attracted 14.2 million. Ten years later, in 2024, Japan recorded approximately 36.87 million visitors, a threefold increase, whereas South Korea reached 16.37 million, an increase of only 2.17 million. This disparity is primarily attributed to differences in tourism infrastructure and content.
Japan's success lies in its diversified tourism appeal, extending beyond major cities like Osaka, Fukuoka, and Tokyo to smaller regional areas that also attract significant demand. Japan has actively promoted regional tourism through initiatives such as highlighting "hidden gems" on its tourism websites, leveraging AI-powered apps like "Okimeguri" in Okinawa to predict congestion, providing shuttle bus services to regional airports and major train stations, and offering travel passes to reduce transportation costs. Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) play a crucial role in managing regional tourism resources and creating specialized tourism experiences tailored to each area's unique characteristics.
In contrast, South Korea's tourism remains heavily concentrated in Seoul, with 80.3% of foreign visitors in 2023 having visited the capital. To address this imbalance, the South Korean tourism industry emphasizes the urgent need for a variety of programs that encourage visitors to explore regions beyond Seoul. The KTO is actively working to enhance K-tourism content and readiness. Key initiatives include the "Visit Korea Year 2023-2024" campaign, efforts to boost regional tourism through local content, and projects like the "Southern Region Mega-Tourism Development" (involving Busan, Gwangju, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam) with an investment of approximately KRW 3 trillion from 2024 to 2033 to enhance cultural, maritime, and recreational tourism infrastructure. Additionally, programs like "Local Treasures of Korea" are designed to vitalize regional tourism, and there's an ongoing focus on improving mobility convenience for foreign visitors, including initiatives for enhanced transportation and language support.
Industry officials underscore the growing interest in individual travel to Korea and in destinations favored by Koreans themselves. They stress the importance of actively developing regional tourism programs and improving transportation links to distribute tourism benefits across the country, fostering a more sustainable and diverse tourism ecosystem.
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