INTERVIEW Korea must think outside the box to boost inbound tourism: TOSOK president

Tourism Sciences Society of Korea President Seo Won-seok speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in his office at Kyung Hee University's College of Hotel and Tourism Management in Seoul, April 2. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Lee Hae-rin

• Published Apr 9, 2025 2:29 PM KST
• Updated Apr 9, 2025 5:56 PM KST

Tourism industry needs paradigm shift toward qualitative development, expert says

Korea is emerging as a popular travel destination, placing 14th out of 119 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2023 Travel and Tourism Development Index.

Driven by the global rise of Korean culture, Korea is expected to welcome approximately 18.73 million foreign visitors this year — surpassing its pre-pandemic record of 17.5 million set in 2019, according to an estimate by Yanolja Research, an independent institute specializing in travel and tourism.

Against this backdrop, Korea must strengthen regional tourism and address the imbalance in travel infrastructure between Seoul and the outer provinces to sustain inbound tourism growth, according to professor Seo Won-seok of Kyung Hee University’s College of Hotel and Tourism Management.

Seo, who became president of the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea (TOSOK) in February, emphasized the need for more balanced development across the country.

“The future economic power of Korea will rely more heavily on tourism than even the automobile, battery or semiconductor industries,” Seo told The Korea Times in an interview at his office in Seoul. “However, when we think of [inbound] tourism, we only think about Seoul, and what we need now is a paradigm shift,” he added.

“Korea has a huge gap between the metropolitan area and outer provinces and we need to narrow down this gap by preparing to receive more foreign tourists in provincial areas and improving accommodations and transport infrastructure."

According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute’s 2024 survey on inbound tourists, Seoul overwhelmingly dominated as the most visited destination, attracting 78 percent of foreign visitors. It was followed by Busan at 16.5 percent, Gyeonggi Province at 11.2 percent and the southern resort island of Jeju at 10.9 percent.

The key to drawing more visitors beyond Seoul lies in effective regional branding, Seo said.

“Tourism greatly depends on branding. A region should offer unique things to see and do and its own distinct identity to succeed as a travel destination,” he said.

During his two-year term as TOSOK president, Seo plans to develop a long-term roadmap to revitalize Korea’s travel and tourism industry. His goals include addressing the urgent challenges of shrinking rural and suburban populations, growing centralization around the capital and the country’s declining birth rate.

“Tourism not only boosts the nation’s economy but also serves as a major pillar for balanced development between regions and cultural diplomacy. It also strengthens Korea’s national brand and global presence,” he said during his inauguration ceremony last month, promising to “develop the society’s long-term vision to innovate the country’s tourism sector under a partnership with the government” during his presidency.

Korea should use the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as an opportunity to boost regional tourism and showcase the country’s regional tourism assets to the world, he said.

Seo also stressed the importance of prioritizing the qualitative growth of the tourism industry — enhancing the overall visitor experience — rather than focusing solely on increasing tourist numbers.

Instead of relying solely on the number of foreign visitors — a metric often emphasized by Korea’s tourism authorities as the primary indicator of industry growth — Seo called for a more comprehensive evaluation that considers the overall quality of the travel experience.

“Simply counting how many foreign visitors come to Korea is no longer as meaningful as it once was,” the professor said. “The focus should now shift to the qualitative aspects of tourism development — how sustainably the industry integrates with local communities, how effectively it embraces digital transformation and how compellingly it tells Korea’s unique stories.”

Ultimately, such qualitative development in the tourism industry will bring greater economic impact, as observed in Seoul, the country’s top destination.

A recent report by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization revealed that foreign visitors to Seoul are staying longer and spending more during their trips.

According to the report, foreign visitors to Seoul stayed an average of 6.05 days and spent approximately 2.84 million won ($1,922) in 2024 — both figures exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the average stay was 5.11 days, with spending at 1.89 million won.

Seo also noted that boosting regional tourism could help the industry overcome its vulnerability to external risks.

“The biggest weakness of the tourism industry is that it is sensitive to external factors, such as political risks, exchange rates and health crises. In order to overcome this point, I think that tourism marketing at the city level, not at the country level, is necessary to promote tourism,” he said.

“If we promote cities such as Seoul, Busan, Jeonju and Gyeongju, rather than ‘Korea,’ it will be more feasible to alleviate national risks,” he said.

“I will work to establish a brand for Korean tourism and provide roadmaps to connect Hallyu and travel in a tourism product,” Seo added.

Seo was appointed the 28th president of the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea in February and will serve his two-year term until March 2027.

Founded in 1972, TOSOK is the nation’s largest academic body, with 8,200 member scholars and experts in the sector.

The society publishes the Journal of Tourism Sciences and the International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research every year, both of which are listed on the Korea Citation Index.