An estimated 10.71 million foreign tourists visited the country in the first half of this year. Shown on March 16 is Bukchon Hanok Village packed with visitors in Seoul's Jongno-gu District. (Korea.net DB)

By Jeong Euiseok

The number of foreign tourists in the first half of the year reached 10.71 million.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 28 also said the June figure alone rose 23.1% year on year to 1.99 million. 

By nationality, China sent the most visitors with 650,000, followed by Japan with 350,000. Tourist arrivals also increased from the Americas (220,000), Europe (120,000) and six Southeast Asian countries (230,000): Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Air travel accounted for the majority of arrivals with 1.74 million passengers. Last month, 390,000 tourists entered the country at regional airports such as those in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do Province; Daegu; Jeju Island; and Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, marking year-on-year growth of 42.5%, more than double 18.2% at airports in the Seoul metropolitan region.

The growth of tourist numbers also led to higher consumption. Foreign card spending last month hit KRW 2.05 trillion, exceeding the KRW 2 trillion mark for the second straight month.

The cumulative amount in the first six months of the year was KRW 10.38 trillion, up 50.8%, to break KRW 10 trillion three months earlier than last year, when the mark was reached in September.

The country also saw qualitative growth in tourism. A survey of foreign tourists in the second quarter showed travel satisfaction rose from 89.8 points to 90.5 year on year, while the percentage of travelers going to provincial areas rose from 31.4% to 34.2%.

innocence@korea.kr