Seoul reclaims spot as Japanese tourists' top destination after 11 yrs: HIS

Seoul has become the top destination for Japanese tourists for the first time since 2011, according to Japan’s leading travel agency HIS Group. South Korean port city Busan ranked fourth.

The travel agency announced the ranking with its sales data on international flight tickets and package tours scheduled for Dec. 24, 2022 to Jan. 3, 2023. 

As Seoul jumped from fourth place last year to first this year, Honolulu, the top destination last year, slid to second. Bangkok ranked third, followed by Guam, Singapore, Taipei, Manila, Paris and Ho Chi Minh.

More tourists prefer short-distance travel in Asia due to soaring fuel surcharge fees as well as a sharp drop in the value of the Japanese yen, HIS said. Also, Seoul is gaining the popularity of Japanese tourists as air routes between the two countries are increasing and entry regulations in Korea have been relaxed.

As of Nov. 22, around 140 nations have returned their entry regulations to pre-pandemic levels, including Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia, which were among the first Asian countries to ease restrictions. The number of foreign tourists to Korea has recovered to 50% of pre-COVID-19 levels. 

The popularity of Korean drama series and pop music particularly attracts Japanese young women. Some 70% of the Japanese travelers who visited Seoul since last month have been female, including 40% of whom are teenagers and young women in their 20s. 

More Japanese tourists will visit Korea and Taipei thanks to the short distance, HIS said. The average projected travel expense for Dec. 23-Jan. 3 trips is 196,700 Japanese yen ($1,419.9), lower than 213,600 yen average for trips during the summer vacation period of this year, the travel agency said.

Write to Yeong-Hyo Jeong at hugh@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.