Korea eyes 30 mil. tourists with regional push

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said Wednesday in Seoul that Korea is preparing to welcome 30 million foreign visitors by shifting tourism growth beyond Seoul and into regional areas. Foreign arrivals have already surpassed the 18.94 million recorded for all of 2025, and the government plans to develop five tourism zones around provincial airports. Chae said the strategy will focus on local economic benefits, visitor experience and addressing overtourism. The ministry also plans to use major international events next year to showcase regional destinations.

The government raised its 2027 tourism budget to 1.756 trillion won, a 19 percent increase from this year.

The five planned regional tourism zones are centered on airports in Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan and Yangyang.

The government will support the zones with 410 billion won in funding, deregulation and artificial intelligence technology.

Chae said departure fees in major destination countries generally range from 20,000 won to 30,000 won and called for Korea to raise its departure tax.

The ministry plans to use next year’s World Youth Day and Summer World University Games to promote regional destinations.

Published Oct 28, 2026 2:53 pm KST

Foreign tourists walk around a paper installation of an ancient city gate in Suwon, south of Seoul, Oct. 11. Yonhap

Korea is working to open an era of 30 million foreign visitors by shifting its tourism focus from Seoul to regional areas, Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said Wednesday.

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

"An unprecedented future has already arrived and Korea is fully preparing to welcome 30 million and eventually 40 million overseas travelers," Chae said during a press conference in Seoul.

"To ensure that regional tourism genuinely drives local economies, we will manage not just the total number of inbound visitors, but also focus on qualitative growth while actively addressing overtourism concerns."

The country's tourism sector is currently riding a wave of record-breaking growth, with cumulative foreign tourist arrivals surpassing the 2025 annual total of 18.94 million as of Tuesday.

Despite global challenges like high oil prices, inflation and the Middle East conflict, the ministry credited K-culture popularity, industry innovation and local hospitality for the steady growth.

To sustain this upward momentum, the government has boosted its 2027 budget for the tourism sector to 1.756 trillion won ($1.31 billion), a 19 percent increase from this year.

Key to the strategy is developing five regional tourism zones around provincial airports in Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan and Yangyang, supported by 410 billion won in government funds, deregulation and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

On the concentration of overseas travelers in Seoul and the need for better transportation networks, Chae pointed out the gap between domestic and global travel services.

"Many foreign visitors rely on overseas platforms when booking trips to Korea, while domestic platforms hold richer local data but fail to capture this rising demand seamlessly," Chae said. "We are exploring ways to support domestic companies so they can bring foreign tourist demand back into our local economy. By building customized travel routes around provincial airports, we aim to offer smooth travel experiences tailored to different age groups and preferences."

Chae also stressed the importance of AI and fair competition, promising to help domestic travel firms overcome industry hurdles.

"AI is showing its power in both customer service and behind-the-scenes operations, making digital transformation essential for the tourism industry," Chae said. "While it is hard to change market trends led by giant global online travel agencies, we are trying to ensure fair competition for local companies."

On outdated regulatory frameworks, the minister called for sweeping reforms in departure tax to align with international standards.

"Looking at major destination countries, departure fees generally range between 20,000 won and 30,000 won, suggesting that Korea also needs to adjust its departure tax upwards," Chae said.

With major international events scheduled for next year, including the World Youth Day and the Summer World University Games, the ministry plans to leverage global gatherings to showcase the nation’s diverse regional charms and ensure a balanced, sustainable future for the tourism industry.

韩国文化部长官蔡辉英周三在首尔表示，韩国正准备迎接3000万外国游客，计划将旅游业的增长重心从首尔转移到其他地区。目前，韩国的外国游客到访量已超过2025年全年1894万人次的预期，政府计划在各省机场周边开发五个旅游区。蔡辉英表示，该战略将着重于提升当地经济效益、改善游客体验以及解决过度旅游问题。文化部还计划利用明年举办的大型国际活动来推广各地区的旅游目的地。

政府将2027年旅游预算提高至1.756万亿韩元，比今年增长19%。

规划中的五个区域旅游区以金海、大邱、清州、务安和襄阳的机场为中心。

政府将以 4100 亿韩元的资金、放松管制和人工智能技术支持这些区域。

蔡先生表示，主要目的地国家的离境税一般在2万韩元到3万韩元之间，并呼吁韩国提高离境税。

该部计划利用明年的世界青年日和夏季世界大学生运动会来推广区域旅游目的地。

发布于2026年10月28日下午2:53（韩国标准时间）

10月11日，外国游客在首尔以南的水原市参观一座用纸张搭建的古城门装置。（韩联社）

韩国文化部长蔡辉英周三表示，韩国正努力将旅游重心从首尔转移到地方地区，以期开启接待3000万外国游客的新时代。

文化部长官蔡辉英周三在首尔举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话。图片由文化体育观光部提供。

“一个前所未有的未来已经到来，韩国正在全力准备迎接3000万乃至最终4000万海外游客，”蔡在首尔举行的新闻发布会上表示。

“为了确保区域旅游业真正带动当地经济发展，我们不仅要控制入境游客总数，还要注重质量增长，同时积极解决过度旅游问题。”

该国旅游业目前正处于破纪录的增长浪潮中，截至周二，累计外国游客到访人数已超过 2025 年 1894 万人次的全年总数。

尽管面临高油价、通货膨胀和中东冲突等全球性挑战，但韩国文化部认为，韩国文化的流行、产业创新和当地居民的热情好客是韩国经济稳步增长的主要原因。

为了保持这一增长势头，政府已将 2027 年旅游业预算增加到 1.756 万亿韩元（13.1 亿美元），比今年增长 19%。

该战略的关键在于围绕金海、大邱、清州、务安和襄阳五个省级机场开发五个区域旅游区，并投入 4100 亿韩元的政府资金，同时放松管制并运用人工智能 (AI) 技术。

针对海外游客集中在首尔以及需要更好的交通网络这一问题，蔡指出了国内旅游服务和国际旅游服务之间的差距。

“许多外国游客在预订韩国旅游时依赖海外平台，而国内平台虽然拥有更丰富的本地数据，却无法无缝衔接不断增长的需求，”蔡女士表示。“我们正在探索如何支持国内企业，帮助他们将外国游客的需求重新带回本地经济。通过围绕省级机场打造定制化的旅游路线，我们旨在为不同年龄段和偏好的游客提供顺畅的旅行体验。”

蔡女士还强调了人工智能和公平竞争的重要性，并承诺帮助国内旅游企业克服行业障碍。

“人工智能在客户服务和幕后运营方面都展现出了强大的实力，这使得数字化转型对旅游业至关重要，”蔡女士表示。“虽然改变由全球大型在线旅行社主导的市场趋势很困难，但我们正在努力确保本地企业拥有公平的竞争环境。”

针对过时的监管框架，部长呼吁对离境税进行全面改革，使其与国际标准接轨。

“从主要目的地国家来看，离境税一般在2万韩元到3万韩元之间，这表明韩国也需要提高其离境税，”蔡说。

明年将举办世界青年日和夏季世界大学生运动会等重大国际活动，该部计划利用这些全球盛会展示该国多样化的地域魅力，并确保旅游业拥有平衡、可持续的未来。