5.5 million Korean tourists surpass, setting a new all-time record

As of the end of last month, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea surpassed 5.5 million, breaking the all-time record.

The tourism industry, which had been stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is showing signs of recovery, which is expected to have a positive impact on the Korean economy.

On the 1st, Seoul Economic Daily reported that as of the end of last month, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea exceeded 5.5 million, surpassing the previous maximum of 2019.

From January to April 2019, a total of 5,477,312 foreign tourists visited Korea. This year's significant increase in visitors since March is analyzed to be the primary factor.

In March of this year, approximately 1.61 million visitors came, which is a 5.1% increase compared to the same period in 2019. If this trend continues, there is a possibility that the annual number of foreign tourists this year could approach the dream figure of 20 million.

In popular tourist areas such as Myeongdong in Jung-gu and Samcheong-dong in Jongno-gu, sales are rapidly increasing.

According to an analysis conducted in collaboration with BC Card's New Finance Research Institute, sales in the Myeongdong area in the first quarter of this year increased by an astonishing 1.7 times compared to 2019. Samcheong-dong also saw a slight increase in sales, despite its location near the Constitutional Court.

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