K-culture has established itself as a key driver attracting foreign tourists to Korea, but expanding lodging infrastructure must be addressed first for this momentum to translate into return visits and regional dispersion, according to a new analysis.
Airbnb on Tuesday released a report based on a survey of 4,500 overseas travelers who have visited or plan to visit Korea. Of the respondents, 94% said K-culture influenced their interest in traveling to Korea, and 75% cited it as a core motivation for their visit. Travelers motivated by K-culture spent an average of $435 more per person than those who were not, and 88% stayed or planned to stay for three nights or longer.
However, the demand generated by K-culture has yet to translate into regional dispersion and return visits, the report identified as a challenge. While 74% of respondents said they were interested in visiting areas outside Seoul, 66% of actual visitors spent their entire itinerary in Seoul. Only 47% of those who had visited said they wanted to see more regions of Korea, and Airbnb's internal data also showed a declining trend in the share of returning guests.
Experts pointed to the shortage of lodging infrastructure as the key bottleneck. Chae Bo-young, chairwoman of the Korea B&B Association, said, "Generation Z wants entire-unit accommodations where they can stay with friends, but institutional barriers such as residency requirements and resident consent block new businesses from opening, making it impossible to meet demand." Among potential travelers, 83% said the availability of suitable lodging options outside Seoul significantly influences their booking decisions, and 34% of MZ generation respondents said they would postpone or reconsider their trip if they could not find suitable accommodations.
Suh Ga-yeon, country manager of Airbnb Korea, said, "Airbnb's role is to help the curiosity sparked by K-culture lead to longer stays and experiences that spread across every corner of the country." She added, "We will actively cooperate in institutional improvements, including reforms to the foreign tourist city B&B system."
