○ According to the 2021 Tourism Survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, Gyeonggi Province is the most visited travel destination in the nation
– No. 1 in average visits per traveler, ranked first in nation as day trip destination
○ Creation of tourist spots at unique sites such as Gyeonggi Dulegil Trails and ocean waters of the province

Gyeonggi Province was revealed to be the most popular travel destination in the nation for three years in a row, according to a survey of Koreans who traveled domestically last year; the province received 53.4 million visits from Korean travelers.

After a review of the 2021 Tourism Survey results published by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 13, Gyeonggi Province was found to have the highest number of Korean visitors last year, totaling 53.4 million. This was more than twice as many as Gangwon Province (25,422,000), which ranked second in the survey. In 2020, Gyeonggi Province also ranked first with 45,496,000 visits, followed by Gangwon Province with 22,362,000.

When dividing the trip type into day trips and longer trips, Gyeonggi Province was still first with an overwhelming majority of 46,259,000 visits. This is approximately three times greater than the number of visits received by North Gyeongsang Province, the second-most visited day-trip destination in the country at 15,078,000 visits. In terms of overnight trips, Gyeonggi Province ranked no. 7 with 7,142,000 visits; Gangwon Province received the most visits with 15,875,000.

Gyeonggi Province also had the highest national average of visits per Korean citizen (1.17 times). According to the province, this indicates that every Korean traveling domestically visits Gyeonggi at least once. Second place went to Gangwon Province with 0.56 times.

For the average expenditure per person, which indicates the impact of tourist visits on the local economy, Gyeonggi Province was third in the country at KRW 66,000. Jeju-do ranked first at KRW 115,000, followed by Gangwon Province at KRW 74,000.

The survey estimated national data based on a sample of 50,400 Korean citizens aged 15 and above who were interviewed by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute last year.

Gyeonggi Province determined that the figures are indicative of a range of tourist sites in the province attracting domestic travelers who became more active during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gyeonggi has made steady efforts to attract more tourists; these include the formation of ecotourism bases in each area, opening the Gyeonggi Dulegil Trails, and launching policies to revitalize the ocean waters of the province, in addition to traditional tourist attractions such as Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon City, as well as Yangpyeong Dumulmeori and the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju City. Furthermore, it expanded barrier-free tourist facilities at major tourist sites so as to ensure accessibility by persons with disabilities. Gyeonggi Province is also working to form fair tourist environments by including residents in tourism policymaking so that tourist consumption can lead to local economic vitalization.

In line with the increased tourist demand driven by the return to normality, Gyeonggi Province plans to actively devise measures to attract more foreign travelers through tourism industry partnerships.

“While expanding new and unique tourist attractions in Gyeonggi Province, such as the Gyeonggi Dulegil Trails and the ocean waters, we plan to provide more entertaining content, events, and tourist information so as to ensure genuine comfort, healing and relaxation, eco-friendly experiences, and tourist safety in the province,” said Choi Young-hoon, Director of Gyeonggi Province’s Tourism Division.