No. of tourists to Jeju down by 520,000 in 2023

LOTTE HOTEL JEJU [Courtesy of LOTTE HOTELS & RESORTS]

Jeju Island, a popular holiday destination that sits on the southern coast of South Korea, has seen a sharp decline in the number of tourists last year.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Tourism Association, a total of 13.37 million people traveled to Jeju Island in 2023, down 3.7 percent from 13.89 million 2022. The number of tourists to Jeju Island fell sharply during the pandemic years after 15.29 million in 2019 and started to recover after the endemic.

Last year’s figure, however, is still below the pre-pandemic level.

The decline comes as demand for international travel surges in line with eased border restrictions, according to industry sources.

A growing number of travelers are choosing to go overseas instead of Jeju Island, with many air carriers offering diverse flight options.

Sources also noted that local travelers find trips to Jeju Island relatively expensive.

According to data from ConsumerInsight, a traveler to Jeju Island for a four-day trip spent an average of 528,000 won ($397) in the first 10 months of 2023, which is 56 percent higher compared with the average for all domestic destinations.