목차
Myeong-dong, Seoul, which was hit hard by COVID-19, has again emerged as the number one tourist destination for foreign tourists.
According to the ‘2023 Foreign Tourist Survey Second Quarter Results (Provisional Values)’ report recently released by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, foreign tourists who visited Korea from April to June chose Myeong-dong, Seoul (14.5%) as the ‘best place to visit’.
Seoul ranks 1st to 5th in Korea’s official journals.
It was followed by Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace (8.5%), Hongdae (7.3%), Gangnam (4.5%), and N Seoul Tower (2.9%), with all tourist destinations in Seoul taking first to fifth places. Dongdaemun, Seoul (2.3%) also ranked 7th in the top 10.
Jeju (2.6%) ranked 6th, Busan (2.5%) ranked 7th, Nami Island (2.3%) ranked 9th, and Haeundae Special Tourist Zone (2.3) ranked 10th. Aside from Seoul, Busan and Jeju are the tourist destinations preferred by foreigners. appear.
The visitation rate by city and province was also highest in Seoul at 82.0%, followed by Busan, Gyeonggi, and Jeju. The Seoul visit rate increased further than in 2019 (78.4%), indicating that tourists’ preference for Seoul has become more severe.
Why travel to Myeongdong?
Myeong-dong is a great place to enjoy shopping and gourmet food as there are large department stores, road shops, and restaurants nearby. It is also a good idea to visit popular tourist attractions nearby, such as the Blue House and Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as museums and exhibition halls. There are many hotels and guesthouses, so you can enjoy your trip conveniently.
Tourists cited ‘shopping’ (78.9%) as the activity they participated in most during their trip to Korea. This was followed by ‘food tourism’ (73.2%) and ‘appreciating natural scenery’ (52.2%).The most satisfying activity was ‘food tourism’ (61.3%). This was followed by ‘shopping’ (59.6%) and ‘appreciating natural scenery’ (39.9%).
Travelers responded that they purchased ‘perfume and cosmetics’ (59.4%) the most in Korea. This was followed by ‘grocery’ (52.0%) and ‘clothing’ (51.9%). However, the purchase rate of cosmetics and groceries decreased slightly compared to the same period in 2019 before COVID-19. Shopping for clothes, shoes, and bags showed an increase.
Foreign tourists’ shopping places in Korea were ‘road shops’ (41.3%), ‘department stores’ (38.3%), and ‘large shopping malls’ (37.7%). Compared to the same period in 2019, the use of ‘road shops’ decreased (56.3% → 41.3%), and the use of ‘department stores’ increased (19.0% → 38.3%).
The average length of stay for foreign tourists in the second quarter was 9.9 days, an increase of 2.6 days compared to the same period in 2019. In particular, the Chinese people’s stay period increased significantly from 8.3 days to 15.9 days. Expenses per person also averaged $344.6 (456,000 won) per day, a significant increase from $227.8 (approximately 302,000 won) in the same period in 2019.