Number of tourists to S.Korea, Japan surge on eased visa restrictions

As restrictions to traveling across national borders loosen, the number of international travelers to both South Korea and Japan have been on the rise in the past month. 

Around 498,600 tourists visited Japan in October, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on Friday. The figure is more than double the previous month’s visitors to the island nation. 

On Oct. 11, Tokyo revised the visa requirements for individual travelers who are not part of professional tour groups. Experts say the eased restrictions are the main factor behind the surge in its inbound visitors. 

During the same time frame, South Korea enjoyed an influx of travelers from the United States who wanted to take advantage of the strong greenback. 

The Ministry of Justice announced 289,590 people visited South Korea last month, a whopping 73.9% from the month prior. The figure excludes those visiting as part of guided group tours or visitors to the island of Jeju. 

Both Seoul and Tokyo are strategically nurturing luxury tour products. 

As air travel routes have not fully returned to normal since the COVID-19 pandemic, both nations' governments are keen to rake in as much as possible from the limited number of tourists.

Write to Mi kyung Lee at capital@hankyung.com
Jee Abbey Lee edited this article.