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In 2024, almost **** million visitors to South Korea were in their twenties, accounting for the largest age group of inbound tourists. That year, the country recorded about **** million inbound visitors. This was one of the highest number of visitors ever recorded by the country.

What draws tourists to South Korea?

The most common reason for tourists to travel to South Korea in 2023 was the food and shopping opportunities. A 2023 worldwide survey found that over ** percent of respondents considered Korean food to be popular or very popular in their countries, with exports increasing in recent years. Korean fried chicken was the most popular Korean food abroad, even before Kimchi and ramen.

The Hallyu-effect

As of 2023, around ** percent of respondents stated that they visited South Korea for K-pop and other "hallyu" experiences. The share of respondents visiting for that reason was especially high for younger tourists, reaching over ** percent for respondents aged between 15 and 19 years old. "Hallyu," which describes the phenomenon of the globally rising popularity of South Korean pop culture, has been an important aspect of the marketing strategies for the country’s tourism industry. Around **** percent of Hallyu tourists were planning to return within the following three years.