K-tourism Eyes Regional Airports to Spread Visitors Beyond Seoul
Creatrip Team
24 days ago
Despite record inbound visitors, 80% of foreign arrivals still enter through Seoul-area airports. Japan’s success in dispersing tourists to small cities relied on turning regional airports into international 'tourism hubs' with new routes, local tourism products, and coordinated promotion (JNTO). Korea has seen growth at nonmetropolitan airports—Kimhae, Jeju, Daegu, Cheongju, Yangyang—but demand remains concentrated: Incheon/Gimpo account for roughly 79% of arrivals. The government launched forums and a Korea Tourism Organization task force to expand routes, develop regional attractions, and improve infrastructure, but challenges remain: uneven airport performance, siloed policies between transport and tourism ministries, and weak local transport links from airports to destinations. Experts say integrated planning—route attraction, targeted tour products, overseas marketing, and stronger local transport and accommodation—must be linked to make regional airports true inbound gateways.
