Tourists from China take pictures at a tangerine farm in Jeju Island, Sept. 26. Korea Times file Expanded cross-border flights, cruises add to influx By Ko Dong-hwan Jeju Island, which has been experiencing a decline in domestic tourists, is instead attracting a growing number of international visitors, according to the island’s tourism authority and industry experts, Thursday.
Expanded airline routes and seaways connecting international travelers to the island have been key factors in this trend. Resort complexes filled with foreign visitors now flock to nearby hotels and casinos, illustrating a changing reality that was once dominated by local tourists. According to the Jeju Tourism Organization, the number of local visitors to the island last month was just over 1 million, representing a 2.
9 percent decline from the previous year. In contrast, the number of foreign visitors surged by 119 percent during the same period, reaching nearly 182,000. The number of foreign visitors stands out even more throughout the year.
From January to September, their total exceeded 1.5 million, marking a 217.8 percent year-on-year increase.
In contrast, the number of local visitors dropped by 5.9 percent during the same period, falling from 9.7 million to 9.
1 million. Thanks to the foreign tourists, the overall number of visitors to the island this year jumped by 4.5 percent from the previous year, to 10.
6 million. The increase in available seats for inbound flights and cruises from oversea.