Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea

South Korea: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 3.09 million trips in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
3.09 million trips
Change on year
up 233.3%
World rank
50th
of 179 countries
All-time high
17.25 million trips
in 2019
All-time low
927,000 trips
in 2021
Years of data
28
1995–2022

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea, 1995–2022

05.0M10.0M15.0M1995200820221995: 3.5M trips1996: 3.5M trips1997: 3.7M trips1998: 4.1M trips1999: 4.5M trips2000: 5.1M trips2001: 4.9M trips2002: 5.1M trips2003: 4.5M trips2004: 5.6M trips2005: 5.7M trips2006: 5.8M trips2007: 6.1M trips2008: 6.5M trips2009: 7.5M trips2010: 8.5M trips2011: 9.5M trips2012: 10.9M trips2013: 11.8M trips2014: 13.9M trips2015: 13.0M trips2016: 17.0M trips2017: 13.1M trips2018: 15.1M trips2019: 17.3M trips2020: 2.5M trips2021: 927.0k trips2022: 3.1M trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea is 3.09 million trips, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 233.3% on the previous year and down 71.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea peaked at 17.25 million trips in 2019 and was at its lowest, 927,000 trips, in 2021.

South Korea ranks 50th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.85 million trips 3.46 million trips 4.47 million trips 5
2000s 5.69 million trips 4.52 million trips 7.51 million trips 10
2010s 13.01 million trips 8.49 million trips 17.25 million trips 10
2020s 2.16 million trips 927,000 trips 3.09 million trips 3

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 47 Chile 3.35 million trips compare
  2. 48 Finland 3.28 million trips compare
  3. 49 Colombia 3.10 million trips compare
  4. 51 Australia 2.96 million trips compare
  5. 52 El Salvador 2.87 million trips compare
  6. 53 Costa Rica 2.75 million trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in South Korea was 3.09 million trips in 2022, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 17.25 million trips in 2019.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 927,000 trips in 2021.
How does South Korea rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
South Korea ranks 50th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 71.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.