More than nine out of 10 overseas travelers said K-culture influenced their interest in visiting Korea, with those drawn by Korean content spending an average of $435 (about 650,000 won) more per person than regular tourists, according to a new survey.
K-pop, dramas and Korean cuisine have established themselves as key drivers of actual tourism demand beyond simple consumption, analysts said.
Airbnb released the global survey findings at a media briefing held in Seoul on Nov. 28 under the theme "K-Culture, the Beginning of Travel." The survey polled 4,500 overseas travelers who had visited Korea or were planning to do so.
According to the report, 94% of respondents said K-culture influenced their interest in traveling to Korea. Among them, 75% cited K-culture as the key motivation for their actual visit.
Spending patterns also differed. Travelers influenced by K-culture spent an average of $435 more per person than general tourists. Their stays were also relatively longer, with 88% of respondents staying three nights or more in Korea. Sixty-eight percent showed a preference for "group travel" with friends or family.
The tendency to value local experiences during trips to Korea was also pronounced. Ninety-one percent of respondents said "local cultural experiences" were important during their Korean travels. K-pop fans were found to seek out food, history and nature alongside concerts, rather than limiting themselves to performances.
However, interest in K-culture has not sufficiently translated into tourism outside Seoul. While 74% of respondents said dramas or films heightened their interest in visiting regions beyond Seoul, 66% of actual visitors confined their itineraries to the capital.
The biggest obstacle cited was the lack of accommodation infrastructure in regional areas. Eighty-three percent of potential travelers said regional lodging options were important to their booking decisions. Among the MZ generation, 53% cited accommodation availability as a key factor, while 34% said they would postpone or reconsider their trip if suitable lodging was unavailable.
The rate at which repeat visits translated into regional expansion was also low. Only 47% of travelers with experience visiting Korea said they wanted to travel to other regions. Airbnb data also showed a declining trend in repeat visits to Korea.
"K-culture is becoming a powerful force drawing travelers from around the world to Korea," said Sharon Chan, Airbnb's head of communications for Asia-Pacific. "They stay longer, spend more and want deeper cultural experiences." She added, "For this demand to spread beyond Seoul to more regions, expansion of regional accommodation infrastructure is necessary."
Fabien, a French-born broadcaster and licensed tourist guide interpreter, said, "Recently, foreign tourists have shown a tendency to explore Korean history and culture in depth by visiting places such as the National Museum of Korea." He added, "To expand this trend nationwide, we need to increase the number of specialized content communicators and guides."
Chae Bo-young, chairwoman of the Korea Bed and Breakfast Association, said, "Demand for entire-home accommodations where multiple people can stay together is high, but supply is lacking. The home-sharing system needs to be improved to match reality."
Airbnb plans to connect the interest in Korean travel sparked by K-culture to actual stays and regional visits. Seo Ga-yeon, country manager of Airbnb Korea, said, "We will help ensure that interest sparked by K-culture leads to longer stays and regional expansion."
