Number of visitors to South Korea 2020, by age group
In 2020, around 617 thousand visitors to South Korea were aged between 21 and 30. That year, the country saw a around 2.5 million visitors. This figure showed a steep decrease from the previous year's record 17.5 million, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese tourists
Tourists from China play an important part in the South Korean tourism industry. In 2016, the share of visitor arrivals from Mainland China was at almost 47 percent. The number of Chinese tourists plummeted in 2017 after bilateral political tensions between South Korea and China. While South Korea’s overall visitor arrival have reached an all time high, the market for Chinese tourists has not fully recovered yet.
The Hallyu-effect
As of 2019, around 12.7 percent of respondents stated that they visited South Korea for K-pop and Hallyu experiences. The share of respondents visiting for that reason was especially high for younger tourists, reaching around 27.1 percent for respondents aged between 15 and 20 years old. Hallyu has been an important aspect of the marketing strategies for South Korea’s tourism industry. Around 88.3 percent of Hallyu tourists were planning to return within the following three years.
Chinese tourists
Tourists from China play an important part in the South Korean tourism industry. In 2016, the share of visitor arrivals from Mainland China was at almost 47 percent. The number of Chinese tourists plummeted in 2017 after bilateral political tensions between South Korea and China. While South Korea’s overall visitor arrival have reached an all time high, the market for Chinese tourists has not fully recovered yet.
The Hallyu-effect
As of 2019, around 12.7 percent of respondents stated that they visited South Korea for K-pop and Hallyu experiences. The share of respondents visiting for that reason was especially high for younger tourists, reaching around 27.1 percent for respondents aged between 15 and 20 years old. Hallyu has been an important aspect of the marketing strategies for South Korea’s tourism industry. Around 88.3 percent of Hallyu tourists were planning to return within the following three years.
