Foreign visitors to Korea top 17.1 mil. through September, nearing 2025 full-year level
Korea welcomed 17.11 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of this year, marking a 21.5 percent increase from the same period in 2025 and puts the country on track to pass last year's full-year total by October, the government said Thursday. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2.06 million foreign tourists arrived in September alone, up 21.1 percent from a year…
Korea welcomed an impressive 17.11 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2024, a significant 21.5% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the government. This surge puts the nation on track to surpass its full-year 2025 visitor count by October. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that September alone saw 2.06 million foreign tourists, a 21.1% rise from 2023, maintaining monthly arrivals above the 2 million mark.
The total for January through September compares to 14.08 million visitors a year ago, and 18.94 million for the entire 2025.
China remained the top source market, sending 5.47 million visitors, a notable 29.2% increase. Japan followed with 3.12 million visitors, up 16.9%, while Taiwan recorded 1.86 million tourists, a 32.4% jump. Arrivals from the Americas grew by 12% to 1.62 million, and those from Europe climbed by 20% to 1.19 million. More importantly, foreigners' card spending in tourism-related sectors, including online purchases, reached an astounding 15.94 trillion won ($12 billion) through September, a staggering 47.7% increase from 10.79 trillion won in the same period last year.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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