The number of foreign tourists who visited Korea last year reached 18.94 million. This firmly established the foundation for the tourism industry's recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth trend has continued this year. From January through April, foreign tourist arrivals rose 21% from the same period a year earlier. The Korean government has also presented a new tourism growth vision of "the era of 30 million visitors to Korea." In particular, the tourism balance turning to a monthly surplus in March for the first time in 11 years stands as a meaningful achievement.
At the recent National Tourism Strategy Meeting and regional town hall meetings, tourism was addressed as a core agenda item in the national growth strategy. President Lee Jae-myung emphasized that "the achievements of tourism must spread to local small business owners and neighborhood commercial districts," noting the importance of regional stay-based tourism. This shows that tourism policy must go beyond simply expanding visitor numbers and lead to revitalization of regional economies and strengthening of industrial competitiveness. With tourism increasingly recognized as an industry that grows both the national economy and the people's livelihood economy, its future development potential is becoming even greater.
The inbound tourism market is also entering a new growth phase. Recovery in major markets such as China, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and Southeast Asia, combined with the spread of K-culture, growth in free independent travel (FIT), and the normalization of international flight routes, has steadily expanded interest in Korean tourism. Tourism consumption is also shifting from a shopping-centered pattern to one centered on experiences such as gastronomy, activities, and wellness, a positive trend that raises the value-added of tourism. The recent tourism balance surplus can also be evaluated as a result of these market changes and improvements in tourism competitiveness.
What deserves the most attention is that the way Korean tourism grows is changing. Tourism is now developing beyond mere movement and consumption toward experiencing the culture, people, and daily life of regions. Future competitiveness will depend less on how many tourists are attracted and more on how satisfying the experiences provided are and how much value connected to local communities is created. This is an important opportunity to simultaneously realize regional tourism revitalization and the expansion of high-value tourism.
To sustain this growth momentum, the foundation of the tourism industry needs to be made more solid. The appeal of regional tourism must be enhanced, and stay-based tourism utilizing regional airports and metropolitan transportation networks must be expanded so that tourist spending spreads across the entire country. In addition, an environment must be created where tourists can visit again with confidence through improvements in service quality, tourism convenience, and price reliability.
The tourism industry is ultimately an industry made by people. Skilled personnel and on-site service capabilities are core assets of tourism competitiveness. Now is the time to actively invest in cultivating tourism talent and enhancing on-site expertise. Such investment goes beyond simply training personnel — it is about nurturing the future competitiveness of Korean tourism.
"The era of 30 million visitors to Korea" represents a new growth stage for Korean tourism. Over the past year, our tourism industry has produced meaningful achievements, including growth in foreign tourist arrivals, the turn to a tourism balance surplus, and the expansion of the foundation for regional tourism revitalization. This is a change that proves tourism is a new growth engine for both the national and regional economies. What is needed now is to further expand the potential confirmed over the past year. If we continue to enhance tourism service competitiveness and the appeal of regional tourism, Korea will be able to leap beyond "the era of 30 million visitors" and become a true tourism powerhouse sought after by people from around the world.
