1 in 5 Foreign Arrivals Use Regional Airports; Boosting Local Spending and Stays Remains a Challenge
Creatrip Team
17 days ago
South Korea saw a record increase in foreign arrivals via regional airports (e.g., Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae), with about 1.96 million visitors in the first half of the year — roughly 21% of all arrivals. Cheongju Airport more than doubled year-on-year. However, spending and length of stay in host regions lag behind: visitors arriving at Cheongju averaged only KRW 60,238 (about 60,000 won) in local spending, just 18% of the national average daily spend (KRW 309,414). Most local expenditures were limited to a meal or shopping before travelers moved on to the Seoul metro area; about 3.5 out of 10 diverted from Cheongju to the capital. Korea Tourism Organization experts say the shortfall is due to a lack of high-value, region-specific experiences and stay-focused hubs. To convert arrival demand into longer stays and higher spending they recommend expanding regional tourist routes, creating “killer” high-value attractions, improving connected transport (e.g., dedicated limousines to city centers), offering tourism facility coupons (cable car, etc.), and expanding accommodation infrastructure to better serve independent travelers.
